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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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cJESSE L. SEWELL. 



LIFE AND SERMONS 



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JESSE LfSEWELL. 



AN ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE, LABORS 
AND CHARACTER, 



BY 



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D. I.IPSCOMB, 



■f RIGHT ^-S-: 



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TOGETHER WITH SIXTEEN OF HIS BEST SERMONS ON 
CONDITIONS OF FORGIVENESS. 



nashville, tenn.: 
Gospel Advocate Publishing Co. 

1891. 



BX 709f 



r? 

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Copyright, 1891, 
Mks. Elizabeth Sewell. 



mTRODUCTIOK 



IT is well that a remembrance of those who have labored for 
the good of others, have benefited their fellowmen and 
have left the world better for having lived in it, should be 
cherished. It is good to show an appreciation of those who 
have unselfishly devoted their lives to the salvation of men, 
and to the service of God, and to hold them up as examples 
worthy of the admiration of the aged, and the emulation and 
imitation of the young. In this utilitarian age, and age of 
material development, we are liable to overlook the religious 
and the moral good, and to forget those who labor to spread 
the religious principles which lie at the foundation of all intel- 
lectual advancement and material prosperity. 

The young are especially liable to be fascinated by the open- 
ings for worldly success, for gaining wealth, honor and power, 
through the development of trade, manufactures, mining and 
politics, to the neglect of those callings and principles which 
deal with the higher and better elements of our being, the 
moral and religious element of man's nature. The religious 
element in man lies at the foundation of all good, and all suc- 
cess, intellectual, moral or material. It is the conservative, and 
only safe guide of all the forces, intellectual, physical and 
moral in man. Without a healthy development and activity 
of the religious element in a people, there has never been, and 
cannot be a permanent growth in moral or intellectual attain- 
ments; nor in the accomplishment of great results in the 
material world. A healthy and well developed religious char- 

(5) 



6 ESTTRODUCTION. 



acter alone restrains the appetites and lusts, that unrestrained 
would destroy all the powers and faculties of man for attaining 
success in any department of life. And it alone can inspire 
and direct the will, the energy, the actions of the body in that 
course of self-denial and persistent labor that is essential to 
produce the highest results in attaining material ends. 

Hence no general and permanent intellectual or material 
prosperity, has ever been attained, no overcoming and con- 
trolling the forces of the material world, so as to make them 
subservient to the will of man and promotive of his comfort, 
has ever come to a people, that did not have an earnest relig- 
ious sentiment. The world's history shows too that this relig- 
ious development to be effective in results, must be put in mo- 
tion and guided by the word of God. The word of God has 
been the only power exerted in the world that has lifted man 
up from a state of fleshly rule and dominion, and that has so 
inspired his will, restrained the rule of lust and passion, and so 
directed his capacities and energies, as to enable him to so over- 
come and conquer the forces of the natural world as to make 
them minister to his desires and work his aims and ends. Pri- 
marily then all material prosperity among a people depends 
upon an active religious life inspired and guided by the word 
of God. 

It is true, increase of wealth, in the luxurious habits that it 
breeds, and the spirit of pride and worldiness it excites, is inimi- 
cal to the spirit of the Christian religion, and counteracts the in- 
fluence to which it ow^es existence. In doing so, it puts in ope- 
ration influences that would uproot in their workings, the very- 
foundations in society, which produced wealth and by which 
it maintains its tenure. In other words, the development of a 
true religious character in a people, makes the attainment of 
wealth possible. The influence of wealth has a tendency to 
destroy that which makes it possible. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The history of the world, in all ages, among all peoples, of 
every kindred, color and tongue shows that the Christian relig- 
ion, is the only power that leads to success and excellence in 
the mechanical arts, in agricultural progress, political enlight- 
enment, and in the intellectual and moral growth of a people. 

A people then that neglects the cultivation of the religious 
character in its mad rage and rush for material success, under- 
mines the foundation of the fabric it builds, and in the end en- 
sures the defeat of its own aims and efforts. 

Besides, true happiness is found alone in the practice of the 
religion of Jesus Christ. The happiest being that ever lived on 
earth was Jesus, the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, 
who gave his life a ransom for others. He attained the highest 
degree of happiness, because he practiced his religion most 
perfectly. "For the joy that was set before him he endured 
the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right 
hand of the throne of God," When he reached the point that 
the sufferings and shame of the cross could not shut the ful- 
ness of joy out of his heart, nothing could deprive him of "the 
joy that is unspeakable and full of glory." The joy of help- 
ing others more than compensated for the sorrow for his own 
suffering, and in his teaching, he pointed man to the only 
path-way to true happiness, to wit, denying self to do good 
to others, in the name of the Lord. He who in the Master's 
name most unselfishly devotes himself to the good of others, 
follows the example of Jesus, and in life and after death will 
share most freely his joy and happiness. 

The brotherhood of man, the interest in man, as man, for 
man's own sake, because he is our brother man, had its origin 
in the mission and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. All the 
efforts to ameliorate human suffering, to lighten the burdens 



8 iKTRODUCTiON. 



of humanity, to lift man himself up from a state of degrada- 
tion and depravity, had their inspiration in the gospel of the 
Son of God. Human ambition, greed of gain and lust of power 
have often opened the way into the heathen nations. But no 
influence has ever sent men and women on a self denying mis- 
sion of mercy to lift the degraded victims of their own lusts, 
up, and to save them from sin and degradation here, and from 
ruin eternal in the world to come, save the religion of Jesus 
Christ. 

From this spirit implanted in human hearts by the mission of 
the Son of God into earth, have sprung all the orders, associations 
and brotherhoods of laboring men and others, for their mutual 
benefit, and to help one another in the struggles of life. Often 
times these institutions ignore and antagonize the power that en- 
abled them to be, and do violence to the principles that begat 
them. This only shows the blindness of man and the inherent 
evil in his heart that often leads him to strike down the 
friend that would lift him up, and to stab the bosom that nursed 
him. 

The man of wealth, of power, that succeeds best in accom- 
plishing worldly ends, and is most honored of his fellows, is 
not the most useful man, is not the most influential man, in 
moulding the world's destiny, nor is he the most happy man. 
True, permanent usefulness and lasting happiness are insepara- 
bly linked together. He only is truly useful who, with self-de- 
nial, devotes himself to teaching others the way of truth and 
righteousness, who seeks to make the world better, who culti- 
vates and directs man's religious character in harmony with 
the laws of God. He who does this, is most useful to his fel- 
lowmen and alone enjoys true happiness here or can enjoy it in 
the world to come. Judged by these truisms, we know few men 
who have been according to their opportunities, more useful 



Introduction. 



to their fellowmen than Jesse L. Sewell. But few, then, secured 
greater happinees, for themselves or bestowed more on others. 
There was nothing striking or sensational about him that in 
any way was calculated to attract the attention of the world. 
His life was a quiet, persistent, unpretentious and unostenta- 
tious, but earnest effort to benefit his fellowman. It was a life of 
unobtrusive self consecration to the good of his fellowman, and 
the serv'ice of God. Its very unobtrusive and quiet manner 
renders it difficult to -^Tite a biography that will attract the at- 
tention of an age that loves to be amused, entertained and 
aroused by sensationalism. But as a tribute to his worth, his 
unobtrusive devotion to truth, and the good he effected in life, 
and with the hope that others especially the young may be at- 
tracted to walk in the same paths of usefulness and true happi- 
ness, the following sketch of his life and work and character is 
penned. 



^^.-^^m 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

CHAPTER I. 

The Country and State of Society lS-22 

CHAPTER II. 

The Religious Condition of the Country. — Preachers 

and Preaching 23-31 

CHAPTER III. 

Religious Condition of the People 32-39 

CHAPTEP IV. 
The Sewell Family.— Childhood and Youth of Jesse . 40-49 

CHAPTER V. 
Marries and Begins to Preach 50-60 

CHAPTER VI. 
His Trial and Exclusion from the Baptist Church . . 61-71 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Teaching of the Bible 72-86 

CHAPTER VIII. 
ALifeof Labor and Self Denial 87-99 

CHAPTER IX. 
His Labors and Death 100-121 

SERMON NO. I. 
The Bible 122-130 

SERMON NO. II. 

Is the Bible a Mystery? 131-139 

(11) 



12 CONTENTS. 



SERMON NO. III. 
When was the Kingdom or Church of God Set up or 

Established? 140-149 

SERMON NO. IV. 
What Must I Do to be Saved? 150-163 

SERMON NO. V. 
The Gospel 164-176 

SERMON NO. YI. 
The Holy Spirit 177-190 

SERMON NO. YII. 
The Name of Christ 191-201 

SERMON NO. VIII. 
In Christ . 202-214 

SERMON NO. IX. 
Adoption ' 215-226 

SERMON NO. X. 
The Son of God 227-243 

SERMON NO. XI. 
The Grace of God 244-236 

SERMON NO. 12. 
The Form of Doctrine 257-266 

SERMON NO. XIII. 
The Conversion of Cornelius 267-280 

SERMON NO. XIV. 
Moral and Positive Law 281-293 

SERMON XV. 
The Atonement or Reconciliation 294-307 

SERMON NO. XVI. 
The Witness of the Spirit 308-318 



Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE COUNTRY AND STATE OF SOCIETY. 

n^ VERTON county is one of the northerly counties of 
y^f what is known as the Mountain bench of Tennessee. 
It lies partly on the Mountain, but chiefly on the table- 
lands at the foot of the Mountain, including the fertile 
Mountain coves, then a level plain of thin, barren lands 
reaching out to the steep but productive hills, and valleys 
of the creeks and rivers. The Sewells settled in the hills 
of Wolf River, in Overton county. 

Overton county is situated away from the highway of 
travel and trade. Even now there are no means of travel 
or transport to the county save by private conveyance or 
the mail hack, over hilly, rough and muddy roads. From 
fifty to seventy years ago, the facilities for communicating 
with the outside world were meagre and crude. So the 
people learned to live almost wholly within themselves 
and on their own productions. All the merchandise, dry 
goods, hardware and groceries, were hauled in wagons, long 
distances and over rough roade. They were necessarily 
costly, while money, owing to the difiiculty of reaching 
market with their produce, was correspondingly scarce. 
The country was new. Men of small means generally 
settled this section of country. But few slaves were 
ever carried there; all, men and women, labored with 
their own hands for a livelihood. Labor was honorable, 
skill in the performance of the various kinds of labor 
needed in the community, was the badge of honor. A 

(13) 



14 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

remarkable degree of simplicity in tlie style of living, and 
of equality among the people, resulted. 

The facilities for acquiring wealth, in this country were 
few. Facility for acquiring wealth excites the desire, and 
is the strongest incentive to its acquisition. Lack of op- 
portunity restrains the desire. So too, means and oppor- 
tunity for obtaining luxuries, cultivate the taste and ex- 
cite the desire for them, while the absence of the facility 
cultivates a taste for, and contentment with, simplicity of 
life. So these people were happy and contented to live in 
plain houses of their own build, to dress in goods manu- 
factured, cut and made at home, and to live upon a plain 
substantial diet, without much variety or many delicacies. 

There were no manufactories, and not even saw mills 
to cut planks. "Whatever was done of this kind must be 
done chiefly by hand. The houses were built of logs, many 
of them of round logs, floored with puncheons, split out of 
the log, the splinters and rougher places smoothed with an 
axe. The cracks were chinked and daubed, though some 
of the less provident left large cracks that were not closed, 
summer or winter. Nails were high, and the roofs of the 
common houses were weighted down with poles. 

The chimneys were of wood, lined with stone and mor- 
tar, with large deep fire places. Wood was convenient 
and they wished the land cleared, so large fires ofi*-set the 
open houses. The walls of some of the houses were scalp- 
ed down with an axe after they were built, to improve 
their looks. The more pretentious houses were built of 
logs hewed on both sides, and nicely notched at the cor- 
ners, so that, when chinked and daubed, they were very 
warm and comfortable. A shingle roof was rare, the 
roofs were of common rived boards. Glass windows were 
unknown. The windows were openings with board shut- 



The Country and State of Society. 15 

ters. For the sake of light, the doors and windows stood 
open winter and summer. Few of even the better houses 
had floors of dressed or jointed planks. So the houses 
were open and thoroughly ventilated with fresh air at all 
times. 

The houses were small, the families usually large in this 
country. Many houses had but one room, that was used 
for all purposes, cooking, eating, working, sleeping. Oth- 
ers were a story and a half high, giving a bed-room up- 
stairs. The better ones were double houses, two rooms a 
story and a half high, with hall between. One room 
served as a kitchen, dining and work room in this, loom, 
spinning wheels and other implements of household labor 
were kept, as well as beds for some of the family. The 
other end was the family living room, in which the 
parents and the younger children slept. In this room also 
the spare bed for company frequently was kept. No 
house was too small or family too large or poor to extend 
an open-house hospitality to all comers. The furniture 
was plain, strong, scant in quantity and made by unskill- 
ed hands, with few tools, and these ill-adapted to nicety of 
finish or polish. 

The cloth for family use was manufactured at home. 
Every farmer had a small flock of sheep to furnish wool 
for family use, and a small patch of cotton and of flax 
was cultivated for the same purpose. The cotton was 
raised, gathered, the seed picked out, carded, spun, woven 
dyed, cut and made into clothing at home for the family. 
The bedclothing, sheets, blankets, counterpanes, coverlets 
and quilts were all of home manufacture. The dying and 
coloring were chiefly from the native barks, roots and 
herbs of the forest. Skill in the manufacture, coloring, 
cutting and fitting of clothes for both women and men's 



16 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

wear, was the ambition of thie wives and daughters of that 
time and country. 

Many of the young ladies picked the cotton, spun, dyed, 
wove, cut and made their wedding dresses. To spin it so 
fine that after it was warped, the whole chain could be 
passed through the wedding ring, was the proof of skill, 
and the dress woven from this, the pride of the bride's 
heart The bridal ring worn upon fingers accustomed 
from childhood to work as these were, was larger than 
those now worn upon the tapering fingers of the delicate 
hands of our society girls. 

There was in the preparation and fitting of these dresses 
more opportunity for the exhibition of good taste and 
skill than is now offered in the selection, and having made 
the elaborate toilets of the women of fashion. 

In the spinning, dying, weaving, fitting and making of 
both women and men's wear, opportunities were offered 
for the exhibition of taste and skill. To spin smooth- 
ly, to dye in clean and comely tints, to arrange these colors 
in tasteful and harmonious combinations, to weave the 
doth evenly, to weave into the cloth handsome figures, 
to cut, fit and make the clothes well, called out the high- 
est order of taste and skill. The women dressed in cotton 
cloth in summer and linsey in winter. Many of the 
dresses would now be admired as models of good taste 
and beauty. The men wore goods made of cotton and fiax 
in summer, and in winter brown jeans dyed with walnut 
bark, and the more tasteful and dressy had a suit of blue 
mixed for Sunday. This latter when well dyed was re- 
garded as handsome. And the woman, who could make 
her blue dye "set" well, was the envy of her neighbors. 
Was frequently called on to go over and help her less 
skillful friend. 



TJie Country and State of Societjj. 



They not only made the cloth for the family, but made 
cloth to barter for store cloth for a Sunday suit, (ready 
made clothing was unheard of) for the sons or daughters. 
They also paid for the sugar, coffee and other necessaries 
from the store with jeans or other cloth, or barter. The 
men had their lands to pay for, to clear up and improve. 
With all this extra labor, the women and men found more 
time for social visiting and intercourse, than they do now. 

The food used was plain and substantial without much 
variety. But little wheat was made and it of inferior 
quality. The mills were small, imperfect in grinding and 
bolting arrangements. So the flour was small in quantity, 
dark and inferior in quality. The biscuits were dark, 
tough, and often from lack of practice, badly cooked. Yet 
flour bread was used only as a luxury. ^Tien the wheat 
crop failed flour bread was not seen for months. Corn 
bread was universally used as the staple food. The meal 
was coarse, yet a sweet and wholesome bread was made, 
that to the sharp appetite of hunger, was most enjoyable. 
Coffee was a luxury for the sick, for company and extra 
occasions, and the rule was, when times were prosper- 
ous, biscuits and coffee on Sunday morning. It was used 
regularly in but few families. I have heard men and 
women, in Avell- to-do circumstances, state that they had 
nursed an ache or pain as an excuse for a cup of coffee 
in their own houses. They did not Ifke to break the rule. 

The sweets, sugar and molasses were made from the 
maple. Honey was much used for sweetening. The pre- 
serves and sweet-meats were made with honey or molasses, 
or what would now be regarded the commonest brown 
sugar. The sugar bleaching process was almost unknown. 
Yet inferior as these were I remember well, that not the 
least pleasure from the prospect of company for dinner or 
2 



18 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

Slipper to the boys, was the anticipation of ' ' biscuit and 
preserves." And the free hospitality of the old folks was 
made more cheerful, by the prospect of coifee. Only a 
few of the more common vegetables were raised. So the 
housekeepers of that day had no trouble in choosing what 
they would have for dinner. But strong appetites made 
sharp by hard, active outdoor labor with an abundance of 
pure air, for both men and women, gave a keen relish, and 
made this food more delicious than the greatest delicacies 
of the present day. 

As indicative of how taste is matter of cultivation, we 
give this : A widowed mother in one of our progressive 
towns, noted for the delicacy of her confections, had a 
son begin the practice of medicine in one of the rural 
districts of North Alabama. He fell in with a kind 
hearted old couple, who clung to the old ways. They 
showed kindness to the young man in many ways. The 
old gentleman went, on business, to the town and called to 
see the mother of his doctor. At dinner as an apprecia- 
tion of the kindness shown her boy — she set before the old 
gentleman a variety of her delicacies, jellies, preserves, 
citrons, and kindly pressed him to try one after another, 
which he did, then said to her, ''they are nice, but not so 
good as my old 'oman makes. They have too faint a 
taste." How does your wife make hers, queried the lady. 
He replied, * ' I don'l? know just how she makes them, but 
she just biles them up wdth the molasses and they have a 
strong, solid taste." Strength rather than delicacy of flavor 
suited his taste. 

The leather was tanned at home, and the shoes made of 
coarse undressed, unstained red leather. They were coarse 
and strong. A pair of these shoes with coarse woolen 
socks, jeans pants and coat, was given to the boys on 



Tlie Country and State of Society. 19 

Christmas morning — these with a change of underclothes, 
and a summer suit of cotton or flax, were expected to last 
them until the next Christmas. 

The boys as they grew up were allowed patches of their 
own with time to cultivate them. They raised corn and 
perchance a few hogs which they traded for goods for Sun- 
day clothes. 

The country was new. Houses were to be built, and 
the trees to be cut down, logs cut up, rolled together and 
burned, rails made, the lands fenced, brush burned and 
the grounds grubbed, ploughed and prepared for planting, 
then cultivating and harvesting were done by the families 
themselves. This required hard and constant labor. The 
heavy labor to be done and the lack of means to hire help, 
and scarcity of help to be hired, made the neighbors de- 
pendent upon and ready to help each other. When a 
house was to be raised, the logs to be rolled, the corn to be 
shucked the neighbors assembled and helped each other 
in the work. No accounts of this labor were kej)t, nor pay 
expected other than to help others as needed. A man who 
had no need of help, would have been regarded a selfish 
churl had he refused to help others on these occasions. 

Poor men whose families were dependent upon their 
own labor, sometimes gave a full month of time in the 
spring, attending the working bees to kelp their neighbors 
clear up land. These bees were seasons of social inter- 
course, as well as times of feasting. On such occasions all 
the news from home and abroad were exchanged and the 
table furnished with the best the larder afforded. Whiskey 
was free on all such occasions, as it was of universal use, 
and added t» the hilarity of the occasion, but frequently 
excited quarrels and strife. On all such occasions, while 
drunkenness was not common a few would be found to 



20 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

drink to excess. The moral and religious sentiment of 
that period justified all in making, using, selling whiskey, 
and the customs of the time demanded it should be offered 
at all social gatherings, and it would have been a viola- 
tion of common hospitality not to set out the bottle when 
a friend called. Preachers themselves frequently made, 
sold and used whiskey without reproach to their calling. 
Stephen Sewell the father of Jesse had a distillery. The 
boys all learned to distil. He continued it until Jesse 
and Isaac became members of the Church of Christ, and 
persuaded him it was wrong. They also were instrumen- 
tal in stopping the use of it at the neighborhood gath- 
erings 

The amusements and recreations of the people were sim- 
ple, generally partook of active out-door sports. The men 
hunted squirrels, turkey, deer, coons and foxes. The boys 
played base and bull-pen, hunted rabbits, opossums, trap- 
ped birds, and all rode horse back. Toys for children were 
unknown, save as those made at home, by parents or older 
brothers and sisters. They grew up, not seeking to be 
amused or expecting to be entertained. Yet, I am sure 
found more real enjoyment than children now do who 
are surfeited with amusement and over-loaded with toys. 
The women had quiltings, discussed the latest figures in 
cloth, told how much cloth they had made, how the blue 
dye did, how many chickens and turkeys they had set, 
how they hatched out, the ailments of the children and 
all neighborhood gossip. 

The social amusements of the young people were com- 
bined either with labor or religious service. They had 
quiltings, cotton pickings, that is, when the cotton was to 
be seeded, they would invite all the young people of the 
neighborhood to meet at one house on a winter evening, 



Tlie Country and State of Society. 21 

and have a general race in seeding the cotton, then at 
another and another. The boys and girls would mate out 
in the work according to their likes, and much enjoyment, 
and not a little wooing was mingled with and sweetened 
the work. Then they would meet on Sunday or in the 
long winter evenings to practice singing. Singing then 
was good, and no instrument was needed to support or 
guide the voice. The Sewells all had good musical tal- 
ents, and Jesse was a leader in all these enjoyments, in 
his neighborhood. There were no buggies or carriages in 
that country, all rode horseback or walked to church and 
^sewhere. It was common for women, especially the girls 
and boys to walk two or three miles to church. These 
rides and walks, especially daring the protracted meetings 
were occasions for social enjoyment for all, especially the 
young. The boys had to gallant the girls on such occas- 
ions. The girls became expert and fearless horseback 
riders, self-reliant, and self-helpful. They went errands, 
frequently carried the grain to mill, and helped in the 
lighter out-door work, in busy seasons, especially in plant- 
ing and harvesting. The morality of the country was 
such that no woman was afraid to go from home even long 
distances alone. Drunkenness was not common, thieving 
rare, and a murder in that country was never heard of. 

The condition of the people created a kindly interest in 
each other and the constant interchange of helpful acts 
kept alive a true social feeling. There were few papers 
published then, very few went to these rural districts. The 
people were dependent upon social intercourse for news, 
and a traveler from a distant county, especially from a 
point in communication with the outside world, was sure of 
a hospitable welcome for a nights lodging, for the news he 
would impart. The desire to see others and learn what 



22 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

was going on in the world, was one incentive to attend the 
religious monthly meetings. They would meet and talk 
over the floating news of the neighborhood and their crop 
prospects, till time for services to begin. 

The educational facilities were very meagre. A few 
months schooling in winter or autumn, when the demand 
for labor relaxed, with an unskilled and often, uneducated 
teacher, were the best that were afforded. To read, write 
and cypher a little was all the parent was able, or thought 
necessary, to give the child — all the teachers could impart. 

These conditions had a tendency to produce certain 
characteristics. To wit, patient labor, few artificial wanti, 
a kindly interest in our fellowmen, simplicity of life, 
regularity of habits, with good physical powers and a 
contented spirit. These are qualities that bring compe- 
tency with contentment to those who remain in that coun- 
try, and bring success to those who with an enterprising 
spirit, migrate to more business communities. Hence no 
section of country has contributed a greater number of 
successful merchants, manufacturers, mechanics, lawyers, 
bankers and business men generally to the cities and grow- 
ing towns, than this Mountain District of Tennessee. A 
full proportion of the Bankers, Merchants, Lawyers, 
Preachers and business men generally, of Nashville, came 
from Overton, Jackson and adjoining counties. 

Under these surroundings and influences Bro. Jesse 
Sewell grew from childhood to manhood. They left their 
impress upon his character and life work. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY — PREACHERS 
AND PREACHING. 

trYHIS country was under the influence of the Baptists 
&\(s chiefly. There were a few Methodists. The peo- 
ple generally were so far religious as to attend monthly 
meetings. These were well attended, perhaps as much to 
gratify the social feeling and a desire of hearing and tell- 
ing the news, as from a religious feeling. Newspapers 
were few and did not circulate in that country, and men 
and women learned what was going on in their own and 
other neighborhoods and distant places only by private 
correspondence and social intercourse. All gatherings 
together of the people were highly appreciated and well 
attended from social feelings. They, afibrded occasions 
and opportunity for hearing and telling news. The 
preacher, traveling from neighborhood to neighborhood, 
was a news-gatherer and distributor. His importance was 
magnified and appreciated with many, as much from this 
office, as from his being a preacher of the gospel. These 
meetings, in certain prominent neighborhoods, were 
attended from surrounding neighborhoods in every direc- 
tion from ten to twenty miles. They would meet on Sat- 
urday, interchange general and neighborhood news until 
preaching began, and many, more interested in the news, 
than the sermon, would not go in at all. Saturday after- 
noon and night the visitors from other neighborhoods 

(23) 



24 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

would distribute themselves through the neighborhood, all 
cordially welcoming them for the sake of the news they 
would bring. 

On Sunday the same course would be repeated. The 
preaching was neither very interestiug nor instructive. It 
was not unfrequently the case that several preachers were 
present on these occasions. It was the custom with the 
Baptists of that day, in this part of the country, that 
each preacher should have his say, and as all spoke as the 
Spirit moved them, the time when the services would 
close, was uncertain. I have known them to last from 
eleven o'clock to three or four. Even the old members of 
the church, the deacons and the mothers in Israel, would 
listen for a time, tire of sitting, walk out to the spring, 
sit for half hour or more in social chat, with each other, 
and return for another hearing. Nor was this considered 
as the least breach of good order, or as showing any disre- 
spect to the services. With this example from the elders, 
the young people of course were more frequently thirsty 
and restless, and improved this example, t^ spend more 
time in a shade or at the spring, to do a share of their 
gallanting and courting. Meetings that at once adminis- 
tered to the religious, social and news-loving element, 
were popular. How far each element entered into their 
popularity, we cannot make a guess. As the Baptists 
held almost complete possession of this country, their 
preachers of course give a fair index of their religious 
development. 

Mr. Jeter, a prominent Baptist preacher, of Richmond, 
Va., gives this description of many with whom he came 
in contact : 

"Some of them were ignorant, conceited and vain; others 
were proud, haughty and imperious; others still, were hypo- 



The Religious Condition of the Country. 25 

critical, mercenary and base, and not a few were worldly, 
selfish and sycophantic," 

As a rule the clergy of this country were well-meaning 
and honest, at least when they started out. The adula- 
tion and adoration paid them by many, the claims of 
standing as the mouth -piece of God, and of receiving 
direct communications from him, to deliver to the people, 
which they assumed and some tolerated and many heartily 
believed, were well calculated to develop the w^orse ele- 
ments of their nature and to make them at least ignorant, 
bigoted and supercilious. Still, as far as my knowledge 
and recollection go, many of them, the majority, were 
good, well-meaning, but ignorant and misguided, and 
somewhat bigoted men. They believed in the call to 
preach. That is, they believed that God specifically des- 
ignated which one should preach, and so impressed it 
upon his mind and heart, that contrary to his own incli- 
nation and desire, he must preach. This call was often 
impressed in a dream, an impression on the mind, that it 
was his duty to preach. Often it would come simply as a 
feeling of un-rest and doubt. Distress and forebodings 
would oppress the mind. The person would not under- 
stand the meaning of it. Often this feeling of distress 
and depression would so fill the heart, that the subject was 
unable to sleep. He would lose his appetite, and go into 
a general bodily decline, all the time not knowing what 
was the cause, or that he was ''laboring under a call to 
preach." Often when he understood he was " called" the 
flesh was weak and he would draw back. If any sickness, 
mishap or misfortune came upon him or his family in this 
state, he would accept it as a punishment, inflicted by the 
Lord, for refusing to respond to the caU. One after he 
had felt the call, but before he began to preach, cut his 



26 lAfe of Jesse L. SeiveU. 

foot with an axe, and said ; " The first thought that came 
into my mind, after doing it, was, this is the first judg- 
ment visited upon me for not preaching the gospel." He 
never ceased to believe and preach this so long as he lived. 
To tell this, was an important item of his preaching. 

Another, much above the average, in intelligence and 
sound judgment, had several children born to him, who 
heard and talked, then three or four in succession that 
were deaf and dumb. I have often heard that he regard- 
ed the affliction of the children, as a punishment from the 
Lord, for his refusing to preach, when the Lord called 
him. 

They believed when the Lord called, it was irresistible. 
That is, he would afflict until the call was obeyed. 
Sooner or later the man must preach. They claimed not 
only a special, direct call from the Lord, they quoted the 
Scripture, Hebrew v: 4, applied to the Son of God, and 
appropriated it to themselves. *' No man taketh this 
honor unto himself, but he that is called of God 4is was 
Aaron." I do not think they understood this Scripture as 
applying to Christ. They had not the most distant 
dream of a proper division and application of Scripture. 
The Bible, to them, was a book of maxims and discon- 
nected truisms, that afi'orded a text, to be interpreted, not 
by the study of the context or the meaning of the words, 
the circumstances in which and characters to whom, it was 
spoken, but by the direct illumination of the Holy Ghost 
sent down from heaven, while they were speaking.' They 
did not study the Bible further than to get a text. They 
claimed the Lord directed their minds to the text. If he 
did, he frequently failed to tell them where to find it, and 
often left them to quote it wrong, or even give some 
familiar adage, not in the Bible, as Scripture. They 



The Religious Condition of the Country. 27 

would frequently quote the text they claimed the Spirit 
had given them, and say: "It can be found somewhere 
between the lids of this book," with a thump upon the 
Bible, but to save their lives they could not have told 
where. 

They generally prefaced their sermons with about these 
remarks : " I do not know what I shall be able to say to 
you to-day. I can not say anything, save as the Lord 
gives it to me. I stand simply as his mouth -piece ; what 
he gives to me I will give out to you." They would fre- 
quently connect with this an affected humility, in self- 
deprecatory tones, and one would say, I often wonder 
why the Lord chose such a weak vessel, such a poor, 
unworthy creature, as your speaker is, as his mouth-piece, 
then would refer to Moses as of stammering tongue, yet 
the Lord had said, "I will be with thy mouth" in the 
presence of Pharaoh, and ** I will teach you what ye shall 
do," and apply it all to himself. The claim was that of 
direct inspiration. God would put into their mouths 
whatsoever they would say. They made no study of the 
Bible, gave no forethought or premeditation of what they 
should say, but waited on the Lord to give to them. 

Sometimes one would get under a cloud, stand awhile, 
the imagination would refuse to work, and he would sit 
down, saying, "The Lord is not with me and I can not 
preach for you to-day." Often the expositions of their 
text were most whimsical, far-fetched and often ludicrous, 
owing to the cast of mind of the preacher. Yet they 
would conclude with a prayer that *'God would pardon 
error and bless the truth spoken." 

Of course only crude, half- formed, ill-digested thoughts 
could under these conditions be spoken, that could profit 
no one, and the more hurtful because this was put off as 



28 Life of Jesse L. Sewell 

the direct revelations of God. Many men of thought 
and common sense, rejected for themselves, the claims of 
these men as speaking for God, and their speeches as rev- 
elations of God's will. Yet they tolerated them, and the 
less thoughtful of both men and women, accepted both the 
speaker and his message as from God. The only good 
was the keeping alive the religious sentiment, by the 
regular services. 

While many men of sound and discriminating judgment, 
and good well-balanced minds were preachers, often the 
worst cranks and most ill -balanced minds in the country 
would desire the notoriety and the importance, that a 
mouth -piece of God to the people must possess. This 
desire would be interpreted as a call from God and they 
would labor and travail under the pressure of the call, 
"rastle," as did Jacob with the angel, and who could say 
nay, to the anointed of the Lord ? 

These Baptist preachers all fell into most oifensive man- 
nerisms. A kind of sing-song in speaking was almost 
universal with them. They seemed to regard it as a kind 
of holy tone, to be adopted in delivering the Lord's mes- 
sages, and the impressible portion of the people so 
accepted it. The song or tone often had full as much to do 
with the effect as the words spoken. They would con- 
tinue it even when they ceased to speak words. They 
would linger on the tone while waiting for the Lord to 
suggest the next sentence. A more disgusting habit that 
was universal, was, that of spitting while speaking. It 
was not done from excess in secretions of saliva. It was 
a habit of spitting a little frothy spittle on the floor and 
rubbing it with one foot, all the while continuing the 
sing-song tone. Why or whence this habit, I know not, 
but it was almost universal. It seemed a means of whiling 



The Religious Condition of the Country. 29 

away a moment waiting ideas, or as they called it, sug- 
gestions from the Spirit. 

Many of these preachers could with difficulty read 
plain print in simple words. They knew nothing of the 
structure of a sentence, of analyzing it, or of studying 
the connection of sentences to determine their meaning. 
They made but little effort to teach or expound the Scrip- 
ture, and did not rely upon-their knowledge of the Bible 
to enable them to preach. A sermon learned from the 
Book, or a book sermon, was enough to stamp it as con- 
traband. They wanted something fresh from God. 

They told their experiences and the experiences of 
others, — the work of grace in the heart, it was called — told 
death -bed scenes and graveyard stories, and depended 
upon these to arouse and frighten the people. Some 
could tell these things with great force, and possessed 
great exhorting power, delivered in the sing-song tone, 
with fervor, often had a weird and wonderful effect, so 
they could get up great revival and mourning -bench ex- 
citements. These revival meetings would frequently last 
long into the night. After midnight they would some- 
times be found, some praying, some exhorting, some sing- 
ing, some shouting, all at the same time and in the same 
room. "Much speaking, babbling repetitions, and boister- 
ous passion," in the language of Dr. Broadus, character- 
ized these prayers. This was all attributed to. the direct 
influence of the Spirit working in the heart. When one 
was aroused or excited, he was converted. 

In doctrine, these teachers were Calvinistic in varying 
degrees. Some believed in the eternal decrees of God, 
fixing that everything should come to pass just as it has 
done, and could not have occurred otherwise. That the 
destiny of each individual was fixed before the foundation 



30 Life of Jesse L. Seiuell. 

of the world, and by the eternal counsel of God, so that he 
could do nothing to possibly change his character, or the 
destiny for which he was created. All believed in total 
hereditary depravity, and of course the direct, abstract, 
immediate, irresistible operation of the Spirit on the 
heart, constituting the efiectual call of God's elect. 

They taught that the sinner in a state of nature was so 
utterly dead, so devoid of all spiritual life, that he could 
not perform a single good act, think a good thought, or 
even desire to do or be good or to be saved, save by the 
Spirit operating in him, and working the desire into the 
heart. 

Much of the preaching was upon these doctrinal points. 
They taught that the word of God is a dead letter to man 
in a state of nature, and could be of no service, in help- 
ing the sinner, until the Spirit of God prepared the heart 
for the reception of the word. They said, "The Spirit 
convicts, the Spirit converts," and all by an influence or 
power sent direct from heaven, and it required as mighty 
an act of the Spirit to change the heart as it did to raise 
Jesus from the dead. They maintained a man could not 
possibly obey the word of God, and thereby become a 
Christian. If he could obey its teachings, it would be a 
book or a do religion in contrast with the heart religion— 
a religion of the head, and not of the heart. They 
believed the Bible is a mystery, so the unregenerate could 
not understand it. It had a spiritual meaning discernible 
only by spiritual men, distinct from the meaning it might 
convey to the unregenerate or natural man. The mean- 
ing the latter drew from it w^as misleading and danger- 
ous. Hence it was dangerous for one to study the Bible 
without a called and sent preacher to give its spiritual 
meaning hidden from the natural man. The called and 



The Religious Coiidition of the Country. 31 

sent preachers alone could understand and expound the 
Scriptures aright. 

The father of the writer of these lines, was clerk of one 
of the largest country churches in the mountain district 
of Tennessee. He and two of his brothers were excluded 
from this church, on the charge of presuming to under- 
stand the Bible for themselves, without consulting the 
preacher sent of God. They did not believe the knowl- 
edge of the Scripture necessary to either conversion or 
the Christian life. They would often say that a sinner 
might obey every command in the New Testament, and 
yet could not be a Christian. The Holy Spirit by a direct 
operation, works faith in the heart, and that faith 
wrought in the heart, is conversion to God, without any 
act of the creature. 




.>^^'°^i^2^. 



CHAPTER III. 



RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. 

NDER this teaching men felt unaccountable, irre- 
sponsible, unable to understand or obey the Scrip- 
tures, and of course did not try to study them. Mr. 
Jeter, of Richmond, Va., said of the churches of that 
period : 

" They were then, as now, far too worldly, formal and ineffi- 
cient; Among the Baptist churches there were some sad evils. 
In parts of the country, the churches were infected with an 
antinomian spirit, and blighted by a heartless, speculative, 
hair - splitting orthodoxy. These churches were mostly penu- 
rious, opposed to Christian missions, and all enlarged plans, 
and self-denying efforts for promoting the cause of Christ. In 
general the careful study of the Scriptures, the religious educa- 
tion of children, the proper observance of the Lord's day, a 
wholesome, scriptural discipline, the^ reasonable support of 
preachers, ^nd, in fine, devotion to the Eedeemer's cause were 
too much neglected." 

Orchard, in history of English Baptists, described the 
baleful effects of the same doctrines in England about the 
middle of the last century. (Page 341.) 

"In 1725, a society was organized of Calvinistic Baptist min- 
isters to meet for consultation on the affairs of our churches." 

On same page : 

" A jealousy for the divine sovereignty and doctrine, as advo- 
cated by Crips, had agitated and divided the churches, while 
the doctrine of grace subdivided it." 

Page 342 : 

" A different course is now pursued by these ministers, since 
(32) 



Beligwus Condition of tlie People. 33 

sinners had nothing to do, the gospel was to be addressed only 
to believers." 

Wesley, Whitfield and others had begun their revival 
work, and had aroused an interest throughout England. 
(Page 344.) 

" The open manner of these revivalist's address to the un- 
godly, led to the inquiry how far it was the duty of ministers 
to press home on their hearers the duty of repentance and faith. 
The ascendancy of Crip's views occasioned all injunction to the 
ungodly to be altogether laid aside, from the persuasion that 
they could not spiritually comply with the exercise of spiritual 
requirements." 

On page 345 : 

"This discourse (by Joseph Stennett) illustrates the fallen 
state of our churches from their puritanical station. This is 
not surprising when we consider the zeal manifested for the 
peculiar doctrine of Calvin, that salvation is of the Lord, was so 
tenaciously held, that the means of grace became indiflferent to 
society. This solifidian and limited way of preaching, was 
advocated by Skipp, Brine and Gill, whose sentiments were 
considered standards of orthodoxy by the middle of this cen- 
tury.* Their attention to the divine decrees as forming a rule 
for the Redeemer's servants, narrowed all their spirits and 
efforts in their public and private discourses. Its influence 
was very apparent in their congregations, and their worship 
was a confined gratitude to the Redeemer for the spiritual cur- 
rent of his love. Their doctrines had shriveled up the soul to 
the dimensions of self. Apathy as a languid sickness pervaded 
the dissenting body. Indifference to the welfare of sinners, 
whether domestic or foreign, marked all their conduct and de- 
votion. Their learned and doctrinal disquisitions gave a clear 
view of the exact dimensions of the divine beneficence, with 
the teacher's apprehensive danger of exceeding in acts of 
mercy or grace the final purpose of God, according to his elect- 

* Gill is still a standard of orthodoxy by our Baptist breth- 
ren. — D. L. 



34 Life of Jesse L. Sewell 

ing love. Their views, doctrines, and examples being kept 
prominent, operated on the auditor}- as a spiritual laudanum- 
lulled all into a spiritual slumber— contracted the capacities of 
the mind— teddered the hands, lips and heart to the house- 
hold of faith— froze up the affections— made religious duties a 
mechanical employment, and placed the whole class of men's 
feelings under a divine quarantine, until relieved by special 
warrant and auspicious breezes direct from the king of Zion." 

Such were the consequences of this religious teaching, 
both in England and America, as presented by Mr. 
Orchard and Dr. Jeter, both eminent Baptists. On page 
347, Mr. Orchard says: 

"The quintescence of the debate may be stated in this prop- 
osition, whether it was the duty of all men to whom the gospel 
was preached to repent and believe in Christ." '' In 1775 Mr. 
Fuller visited London. He had been for some time perplexed 
on the subject of inviting sinners to helievey 

Page 348 : 

" This narrow way of preaching of our brethren, conveys a 
confined ^^ew of the person and work of our Eedeemer — de- 
stroys every feature of divine benevolence toward sinners, 
(Lukexix: 41, 42) — obscures the medium of temporal favors, 
(Matt, v: 45) — dries up every tear of sympathy — steels the 
heart to the miseries and groans of perishing myriads — con- 
tracts every operation in the divine service — withholds, so far 
as in them lies, the reviving and salutary waters of salvation 
from expiring mortals — alienates from the bosom, the travail- 
ing pains of the true disciple of Jesus, (Gal. iv: 19) — sup- 
plants the legitimate desire for every man's happiness in the 
Beloved, (Col. i: 28), and leaves the professor without any ex- 
alted claims to discipleship or distinction." (Matt, v: 47. 

Such is the terrible picture these eminent Baptists draw 
of the effects of this doctrine, left to work its own legiti- 
mate influences and results. The influence of the preach- 
ing of Wesley and Whitfield in England, and of the 
Methodists and Mr. Campbell and his brethren in the 



Religious Condition of the People. 35 

United States counteracted the natural and logical results 
of this teaching and inspired these churches to activity, 
life and zeal. The influence of the principles and the 
people they opposed, saved them from the ruinous results 
of their own teaching. 

The religious condition of the people very greatly cor- 
responded to the teaching of these preachers. The native 
common sense of some told them, that if God gave a rev- 
elation to man, it certainly was one that man can under- 
stand. That it was no revelation unless it was in lan- 
guage that common men, to whom it was addressed, could 
understand. That it was unreasonable God should give a 
revelation of his will, and then need an interpreter of it 
to the very men, for and to whom he gave it, so they 
studied it for themselves, and" learned many of its truths. 
These quietly rejected the extravagancies and extremes of 
these preachers, both as to their claims of direct help from 
God, and of the exposition of doctrine given. These both 
read the Scriptures themselves and encouraged their chil- 
dren to read them. This class usually went along taking 
no part in the extravagances or excitements but still 
maintaining their positions in the churches that practiced 
these things. 

But the masses of the people did not study the Bible, 
made no effort to learn what God had revealed in this 
Book to men, looked at it as a sealed Book to them, made 
no effort to a religious life further than to live a respecta- 
bly moral life, obey the laws of the land, and maintain a 
reputable character among their fellowmen. They thought 
they could do nothing to secure the favor of God, or pro- 
mote their salvation. If God chose to call and convert 
them, he would do it in some mysterious, wonderful way, 
through a dream, a vision, or by a manifestation in some 



36 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

unexpected and unusual way, and "in his own good 
time." Hence all were required to tell the " experience," 
*'the travail of the soul," or "the work of grace in the 
heart," as it was variously called. These experiences con- 
sisted chiefly in dreams, visions, sounds, voices, imagina- 
tions, spectres or ghosts appearing to them. They were 
told to the congregation, the convert sometimes occupying 
a half hour or more in relating his trials and travails of 
soul, covering often a period of several years. Sometimes 
the preacher or a prominent member would ask a suggest- 
ive question to help him out in his narrative. It usually 
ended in his feeling that a burden was lifted from his 
soul, he found relief from his trouble, and he enjoyed 
peace and quiet of mind, and this, under the teaching of 
the day, was interpreted to mean, that God had forgiven 
his sins and had spoken peace to his soul. 

The religious life was one of impulse and feelings, days 
of sunshine and cloud, moments of joy and hope, suc- 
ceeded by long periods of doubt and despair. They had 
no thought of regular, faithful, self-denying obedience to 
God bearing the fruit of joy and peace in the Holy 
Ghost. They expressed it thus : 

" The sinner is so dead in a state of nature that he can do 
nothing towards his salvation, until the Spirit enters his heart 
and quickens his dead faculties and teaches him what he is by 
nature and what he must be by grace, and thus works into his 
heart repentance, and then gives him saving faith, in the re- 
mission of sins." 

He then, and only then, was soundly converted accord- 
ing to this theory, and fitted for baptism, to which he was 
admitted after telling an experience of grace, which must 
be approved by the vote of the men, women and children 
composing the church. 



iieligiouS Condition of the People. 37 

These experiences consisted in dreams or visions, and 
mental struggles, and spectres, the working of the imagi- 
nation. The following is above an average of the expe- 
riences : 

A fair, honest, working countryman, of Cannon county, 
fell in with Brother J. J. Trott. Trott saw the man was 
laboring under great excitement and asked him what was 
the trouble ? 

" Oh," said he, "it is not trouble; there is a glorious 
revival going on just over the way." 

He had been converted, had just told his experience of 
grace, had been received by a vote of the church, and 
was to be baptized next day. Brother Trott asked him to 
tell him his experience of grace. He told him that he 
had had a vision, he was taken u}) and carried by a great 
bird to the top of a higli mountain ; the bird held him 
over a precipice and let him go, he felt himself falling 
down the abyss, expecting to be dashed to pieces on the 
large and rugged rocks of which the bottom was com- 
posed, when, all at once, he found himself upon a bed of 
downy softness, and his sins were forgiven and his soul 
saved. 

Brother Trott asked: "Do you mean a large bird really 
took you up ? " 

" Oh, no, sir, it was imagination." 

Trott. "Imagination of something that was not true, 
was it not ? " 

Convert. " Yes, sir." 

T. "Were you really carried to the top of a high 
mountain ? " 

C. Oh, no, sir; I only imagined I was." 

T. " You imagined what was not true, did you?" 

C. "Yes, sir." 



88 I/ife of Jesse L. Sewell. 



T. ' ' Were you dropped over the precipice ? " 

C. " Oh, no, sir ; I only imagined I was." 

T. " You imagined what was not true, did you ?" 

a "Yes, sir." 

T. ' ' Did you really find yourself on a bed of downy 
softness ? " ♦ 

C. " Oh, no, sir ; I only imagined I was." 

T. ' ' You again imagined what was not true ? " 

a "Yes, sir." 

T. "Then your experience consists of imagining four 
things you know to be falsehoods. How do you know but 
the fifth item, that is, that your sins were forgiven, is not 
also a mere false imagination ? " 

The young man, confused and disconcerted, could make 
no reply, and Brother Trott improved the opportunity to 
try to teach him the true idea concerning conversion, and 
the only true evidence of it based on the promise of God. 
Whether it had any effect, I know not. But the above 
experience is above, rather than below the average of the 
experiences of grace, on which they were voted as accepta- 
ble candidates for baptism. Some of them were long rig- 
amaroles of imaginations and dreams, or trials, reaching 
through years. Some claimed to have received the 
ground of hope ten or twenty years before; the interim 
having been spent in a life of sin and outbreaking wick- 
edness. Yet he was adjudged to have been saved eter- 
nally at this conversion, and that had he died during these 
years of sin and wickedness, he would have been saved by 
virtue of the work of grace on the heart. In all voting 
by men, the vote sooner or later comes to depend on the 
fleshly partialities of those voting. In these elections in 
the church, an influential man's experience was never 
rejected, only those of the poor and disreputable. The 



Religious Condition of the People. 39 

vote turned more on the character and position of the 
man than of the experience. We never knew of but one 
or two rejections of experiences. No objection was made 
to the experience. They were of that class of women to 
whom the Savior said, go sin no more, with words of 
encouragement. 

The church - members did not study the Bible them- 
selves. A ' ' book religion " and a "do religion " were in 
their esteem hardly surpassed in iniquity by open infideli- 
ty. They did not teach the Bible to their childi*en, nor 
to their neighbors ; family worship was unknown ; a Sun- 
day-school or Bible class on Sunday was unthought of. 
The Lord's day, except the one monthly meeting, was a 
day of visiting, talking over business affairs and social 
intercourse, and feasting and doing the lighter and irreg- 
ular chores about the farm for all classes. They opposed 
helping the preacher save to give him a little clothing or 
provisions, if he was in need. They opposed all mission- 
ary work abroad and engaged in only spasmodic efforts 
when the feelings were aroused to convert sinners at 
home. Keligion with them was not a faithful, self-deny- 
ing, daily service to God and doing good to man. But it 
was a matter of impulse and emotion. 

Within surroundings, material, moral and religious, 
such as these, Jesse Sewell was born and raised to man- 
hood. 



■^ K ' " 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE SEWELL FAMILY — CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH OF JESSE. 

(sTESSE LONDERMAN SEWELL was bom on Wolf 
jjj Kiver, Overton County, Tennessee, 25th day of 
May, 1818. His parents were Stephen and Annie Sewell. 
The Se well's were of English descent. They had settled 
in North Carolina on Clear River. When Stephen was 
about twelve years of age his parents moved to Carter 
County, East Tennessee, where he grew^ up and married 
Annie BroAvn, of German descent, on her mother's side. 
Her grandmother was a Mrs. Londerman, who came to 
America from Germany, at such advanced age that she 
never learned to speak English, so as to be understood. 
From his German great grandparents, Jesse got his mid- 
dle name. Annie Brown was raised in Carter, now John- 
son County, East Tennessee. Soon after marriage, they 
crossed the Cumberland Mountain and secured a home on 
the waters of Wolf River, Overton County, Tennessee. 

They possessed but little means, but were industrious^ 
and frugal, careful and saving of what they had. They 
were above the average in intelligence and in thrift in 
providing the comforts of life in the country in which 
they lived. They never amassed much property, but 
lived comfortably and contentedly. 

The Sewells were a prolific family. Stephen Sewell 
had seven brothers and one sister, making a family of nine 
children. There were fourteen children born to Stephen 
(40) 



The Sewell Family. 41 

and Annie Sewell. Twelve of these, seven sons and five 
daughters, lived to be grown. Two, one son and one 
daughter, died in infancy and childhood. With this large 
family to be fed, clothed, cared for, and educated, by 
their own labor from a hilly farm, of necessity, industry, 
economy and a careful husbanding of all resources must 
be practiced. The children were trained from infancy to 
be careful and self- helpful. Children so trained, very 
early in life, became a help instead of a burden. • Chil- 
dren so trained will often take care of themselves and 
assist in caring for still younger ones, and help in many 
ways, at an age, when children not so raised and trained, 
will still need the care of a nurse. God intended children 
to ])e a blessing and not a burden to the parents, and 
when j^roperly trained they will be such, especially in a 
new or thinly settled country. Children impressed from 
the beginning with the idea that they are here to be use- 
ful, trained to wait upon themselves and to help others, 
soon find themselves able to do so, and find pleasure in 
helping in whatever is to be done. They are much hap- 
pier through childhood when thus trained, because em- 
ployment is what brings contentment and happiness, alike 
to childhood and to age. Then, too, children thus trained 
have much better chances for success in life. A parent 
in fliiliug to train a child to be useful and self- helpful, 
and to be a helper in the family affairs, greatly diminishes 
that child's chances for success and happiness in life. A 
child that is always humored and petted and taught to 
expect to be coddled and amused will be an unhappy 
child. The Sewell children were trained, and early 
learned each to bear its part in the family labors, so soon 
grew i)ito helpers in making a living for the family, and 
in this were greatly prepared for making a living for 



42 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

themselves and for tlie usefulness they attained in after 
life. 

The family government was strict, yet kind, and all 
were trained to careful, frugal and industrious habits, and 
from an early age were kept at regular employment, in 
such work as they were capable of performing. 

No element of training is more essential to success in 
any department of life than steady, self- helpful habits of 
industry and application. They are of much greater im- 
portance than the acquisition of any amount or kind of 
learning. Without this, all learning is useless and vain ; 
with it, no learning or success that the person sets his 
heart upon, is out of his reach. This training for useful- 
ness and to habits of industry and perseverance cannot 
begin too young. A badly trained child is a curse to 
itself and to the human family, and a perpetual sorrow 
and shame to its parents. A good, moral, industrious, 
well -trained child is a constant joy to parents, a blessing 
to the human family, a pleasure to itself as well as an 
honor to God. This is equally true, whether it attains 
to wealth or spends its days in poverty. How careful 
parents should be in training them aright. How indiffer- 
ent the great majority of them seem to be. Many a child 
is hopelessly ruined for time and for eternity, before par- 
ents think training time has come. 

Some one asked a wise man. How early should the edu- 
cation and training of a child begin ? He answered, A 
hundred years before it is born; meaning by this, that 
parents transmit their tempers and appetites and habits to 
their children, as well as teach them by example, and so a 
proper training of at least three generations of parents 
would be necessary to transmit to the child those qualities, 
and secure to it the example to which every being ush- 



Tlie Sewell Family. 43 



ered into existence, for eternity, is entitled. AVhile par- 
ents cannot remedy their own bad inheritances, they 
ought to strive to hold in check and restrain all of their 
own improper appetites and tempers and to try from the 
earliest dawn of infancy to set good examples as well as 
to watch over and restrain ill tempers and improper appe- 
tites in children, and so from earliest infancy guide them 
in the right way. Especially children ought to be taught 
early that they are not to live to enjoy themselves, to have 
every wish gratified, and they ought to be taught to 
respect authority and to submit to rule, to reverence right. 
Not to so train them, is to start them in a pathway that 
must bring sorrow and disappointment here, often degra- 
dation and ruin in this world and then a final and fearful 
ruin for eternity. Many fathers and mothers, who, in 
their selfish pride, now imagine they so love their children 
that they cannot deny them any gratification, will find 
that what they regard as love, is real hatred, that they 
have been their own children's most cruel enemies, and 
have sent their own children down to hopeless and eternal 
ruin. No more sacred trust, no more important work was 
ever committed to a human being, than that of bringing 
into being and training for eternity, human souls. The 
bent that is given to the infant in the first five years of its 
being, generally decides its destiny both for time and eter- 
nity. If in after life a child badly trained should 
repent and try to live a useful, godly life, this bad 
training of childhood, and the evil habits consequent upon 
it, are a source of continual hindrance and sorrow to the 
man. No more cruel wrong can be inflicted on a child, 
than to fail to train it aright. 

Children ought to be trained to wait upon themselves, 
to help others, to seek to be useful, to deny themselves, 



44 Life of Jesse L. Seivell. 

and to do what is right and proper, not what they desire. 
They ought to be trained to simplicity in diet and in dress, 
and to restrain their appetites and govern their tempers 
and passions, and to respect authority, to be useful and 
follow the right. And this training, to be effective, ought 
to be under good headway before the child is three 
months old. A parent that awaits longer than this, loses 
the best training period of a child, and Avill find much 
evil already done, to be undone. The first requisite to 
governing the child, is, the parent must learn to govern 
self, to w^alk in the way the child should go. A good deal 
of wholesome neglect is good for the child. I mean by 
this, that a child should be left to help itself, to learn to 
depend on its own resources, and amuse itself, and not be 
continually nursed and coddled and petted and amused by 
others. As a rule working people's children enjoy an im- 
mense advantage over those of the wealthy, in this respect. 
Not able to employ nurses, the mothers in their household 
duties, are compelled to leave them much to themselves 
and their o^vn resources. 

In a family in which fourteen children are born and 
twelve raised to be grown, and the family living to be 
made by the family labor, necessity becomes a co- operant 
with parental care in instilling true principles of morality 
industry, and self-reliance. Surroundings will do much 
to enforce a healthy training for usefulness. 

The Sewell family lived as the greater number of fami- 
lies, in moderate circumstances. They lived in a hewed 
log, double house, two rooms with a hall between, a half 
story up -stairs, with a chimney at each end. One of the 
lower rooms was used for a kitchen and dining room, the 
other the main family room. The upper story was used 
for bed rooms. There were no glass windows, the house 



The Sewell Family. 45 



was covered with rived boards, the lower floor was of 
jointed, the U23per of undressed and unjointed plank. 
The clothing was all home-made, as described heretofore, 
until as the boys and girls grew up the mother traded 
home-made cloth, and other home -raised barter, for a 
little store cloth for a Sunday suit. Then in the cultiva- 
tion of the farm, a patch Avas set aside for each boy, and 
time given to work it ; he sold or traded the crop for such 
clothing as he desired, advised by the parents. Children 
then did not pass from under parental advice until grown. 
On Christmas morning the customary suit of jeans and a 
pair of shoes of undressed red leather, home-made, rough 
and strong, were given to each one. 

Their amusements were few and simple, but enjoyed 
with zest as a relaxation from labor. Hunting was a com- 
mon sport as at once a relaxation from labor and a means 
of securing variety for the table, in a squirrel or turkey. 
Some of the boys, especially Jesse and Isaac, became ex- 
pert shots with the rifle, and killed much game. 

The schools were inferior, and only a few months in the 
year, when the boys were not busy in the crop, could be 
spared for schooling. The attainments were very limited. 
Jesse obtained but little education at school. He learned 
to read and write and a little arithmetic. His younger 
brothers — Isaac, Caleb and Elisha — after they were grown 
up and had begun to preach, attended schools and enlarged 
their sphere of learning. But Jesse had only what he got 
at the country school. His parents appreciated learning 
and intelligence above many of their neighbors and 
encouraged their children to read at home. But books 
were few. Jesse read, when a child, the Bible and such 
historical works as fell in his way. He had a large and 
active brain, and well-balanced mind, a good memory, so 



46 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

he recollected what he read, was fond of talking of it, in 
the family and among his acquaintances, yet was remark- 
able as a modest, diffident youth. 

The Sewells were a constitutionally moral, religious and 
contented people. A brother of Stephen Sewell and 
uncle of Jesse, W. B. Sewell, was a Baptist preacher. 
Stephen Sewell was a member of the Baptist church, but 
rose above the average teaching of the country, read the 
Bible himself and taught his children to read it. The 
New Testament, in the absence of other books, was much 
used as a school book. Many children learned to read in 
the Testament. Stephen Sewell was a member of the 
Baptist church for many years. The state of religion 
at this church was much the same as through the 
country generally. Monthly meetings through the year, 
a careless indifferent religious life, and then a protracted 
meeting for a week in the autumn. Full preparations 
were made for this meeting as one of the marked events of 
the year. Business was laid aside, farm work came to a 
stand -still, a supply of flour, coffee and sugar, always 
including a good supply of whisky or brandy, was laid in, 
the fatted calf or mutton was killed and the week given 
up to the meeting by all, church and non- church mem- 
bers. Although the old people found time to talk of the 
news and crops, and the young ones improved the occasion 
for gallanting and courting, yet the week was devoted to 
arousing an excitement of religion, as presented hereto- 
fore; sometimes it succeeded, and it was then called a 
great outpouring of the Holy Ghost. When it failed, the 
Lord withheld the gracious outpouring of the Spirit. 

Jesse by nature, religiously inclined, and in intelligence 
and thoughtfulness above those of his years, professed 
religion, obtained a hope, experienced a work of grace, 



The Sewell Family. 47 



told an experience which was voted as genuine by the 
church, and he was baptized into the fellowship of the 
Wolf Kiver Baptist church, on the third Sunday in 
December, 1827, about five months before he was ten 
years of age. 

Many think this young to join the church. And many 
who come into the church so young, through evil sur- 
roundings forget the obligations they take upon them- 
selves, turn back and walk w^ith God no more. But after 
giving special attention to the subject for years, I think 
not so large a proportion of those who start W'hen young, 
fall away, as of those who await a more mature age. 
And after considerable inquiry among those devoting 
themselves to the service of God, I am sure a larger pro- 
portion of those who begin early, are apt to make faithful, 
consecrated Christians than of those who start later in 
life. Of course children need to be kept under good 
influences, and to be encouraged in the right way. With- 
out these, but few will grow up to morality and righteous- 
ness. But with proper parental care, children that start 
early in the Christian life make the most earnest, faithful, 
devoted Christians — they are kept back from evil habits — 
make the most successful and moral men here, and are 
better fitted in character for the eternal home with God. 

I do not believe that all children are fitted for church 
membership at so early an age. A sense of personal 
responsibility develops in some children at a much earlier 
age, than in others. Until this is developed the cliild is 
not fitted for church membershij^. It develops earlier iu 
those that are thrown on their own resources and are left 
to provide their own amusements and to think and act for 
themselves. As a rule, it is developed much earlier in 
the children of laboring people^ and children left to 



48 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

depend on themselves and wlio are early trained to do 
their part in life, than among the wealthy. Then much 
depends upon their religious training, mental develop- 
ment, and their ability to apprehend the simple facts of 
the gospel. 

]\Jistaken ideas largely prevail in reference to the char- 
acters who make the most faithful Christians. Those who 
hesitate and wait and deliberate and ponder the subject 
long and coolly, who count the cost, as it is called, well, 
before acting, we generally think will be most faithful 
and attentive as Christians and will be most likely to per- 
severe unto the end. I used to think so. A study of 
these matters for forty years has wholly changed my mind 
on the subject. The man who is slow to move in becom- 
ing a Christian, as a rule, will be slow to move in the per- 
formance of duties after he has become a Christian. A 
man that hesitates and doubts and finds it difficult to 
gain his consent to become a Christian, as a rule, will find 
the same doubt and hesitancy and trouble in obeying the 
requirements of the Master, after he becomes a Christian. 
The Lord's time for obedience is, the first time a man 
hears, understands and believes the truth ; he should then 
without hesitancy obey the truth. The man who obeys 
promptly and earnestly when the truth is first presented 
to him, as a rule, is the man that will promptly discharge 
every Christian duty through life. A child ought never 
to be discouraged from obedience, when it feels the obliga- 
tion resting on it to obey. It ought to be instructed, and 
care should be taken, that it is acting from faith in Christ, 
that it feels a sense of responsibility, arising from a clear 
apprehension that man is a sinner, in need of a Savior, 
and that Jesus Christ as the Son of God died to redeem 
and save sinners. But it is a most dangerous state when 



The Seivell Familj. 4\) 



a person sees the right, yet refuses to do it. To discourage 
children from obedience when they see the truth and feel 
the obligation to obey, is to school them to do violence to 
their own consciences. Man cannot fall into a more dan- 
gerous and fatal habit than t^iat of living in violation of 
his conscience. Jesse Sewell's prompt obedience, when a 
mere child, was the indication and promise of his readi- 
ness to act on his faith and of his fidelity to all the 
demands of truth as he learned them through life. 

His life from his baptism, was that of an obedient and 
dutiful child, working upon the farm, attending to the 
church duties, as he was taught, and they were practiced 
in the community, reading his Bible and such books as 
fell in his hand until he was twenty-one years of age. 

Jesse, when young, was small of stature and slender. 
He became fleshy as he grew older, but his bones and feet 
and hands were always small. His head was large, well 
balanced and full; his arms were awkwardly hung 
upon his body, he never learned what to do with his 
hands while preaching. Those who knew him as a meek 
and self - controlled man, never thrown off his guard or 
excited to speak hastily or rashly, would not suppose he 
had naturally a quick or high temper, yet he says in his 
young days a quick and irritable temper was a great 
trouble to him. If this was not severe judgment on him- 
self, to which men of tcndei>and active consciences are 
liable, he stands as an example of what a man can accom- 
j)lish in overcoming and bringing under control such a 
temper. For all who knew him in later years, regarded 
him as a model of meekness, equanimity and self-control. 
When young he was full of life, fond of company and 
entered into the amusements and recreations of the young 
people with zest and ardor. 
4 



..^<=:J:=^^^^ 



CHAPTER V. 



MARRIES AND BEGINS TO PREACH. 

(oTESSE SEWELL was married July 21st, 1839, being 
2J twenty -one years and two months old, to Elizabeth 
A. Speer, two years younger. This was young. But 
early marriages promote morality and virtue and lead to 
thrift and contentment. People raised to help themselves, 
and to frugal habits, as were the young people of that 
country and time, are never deterred from marriage from 
fear of inability to support a family. Accustomed to sim- 
plicity of life, and trained to useful labor, man and wife 
were helps to each other in making a living, and children 
brought additional help. The extravagant style and ex- 
pensive habits, and the lack of training to self - helpfulness 
in which the young are now raised, and their inability and 
unwillingness to accommodate themselves to the conditions 
under which the young must begin life, deter many from 
matrimony and promote impurity and licentiousness in 
society. Because children are so raised as to be a burden 
and a trouble, an antipathy to raising children prevails. 

Woman never brought a richer or more precious dowry 
to the marriage altar than when trained to industry and 
economy, with no thought of worldly position or wealth, 
she comes in the freshness and purity of her early love, 
and bestows on that husband the faith and fervor of an 
artless and trusting heart, with the single desire of being 
a true helper to, and sharer with him in the struggles, the 
(50) 



Marries and Begins to Preach. 51 

joys and sorrows of life. Nor can man bring to that 
union a truer pledge of life -long happiness and joy 
than in the buoyancy and strength of an early and unde- 
filed manhood, to bring to the woman of his love, an 
untarnished virtue and manly honor, depending upon 
his own right arm and brave heart under God's blessings 
to provide for his family. Such marriages, if not made, are 
yet blessed in heaven. It is a sad and depraved condition 
of social life, when the great mass of women in a commu- 
nity, do not look forward to marriage and motherhood as 
the fulfilling of their mission on earth, and as the crown 
of their womanly joy and happiness. 

Our young couple married with but little display or 
expense, and quickly settled down in a house with a single 
room, on his fatlier's land, to the labors and joys of wedded 
life. To this room with their own hands, (Sister Sewell 
helped in all these labors) they added a shed for a cook- 
room, and began housekeeping with household and kitchen 
furniture, and tableware of the plainest kind and only in 
quantity sufficient for the simplest living. They were 
both young and healthy, had few wants, with habits of 
mdustry and economy and contented spirits. 

Sister Sewell was a tall, well developed woman of great 
bodily strength and endurance, and a will and determina- 
tion that hesitated at no difficulties. She was of an emi- 
nently self-possessed and practical turn of mind, accom- 
modated herself to her surroundings, was self-reliant and 
self- helpful, ready to meet any difficulties that lay in her 
way, and cultivated a contempt for the effeminacies and 
timidities so generally characteristic of women. Yet, 
withal, she was a truly modest and womanly woman. 
Her self-reliant character was a great help to her and 
to her husband in his life work. 



52 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

About two years after their marriage Jesse Sewell made 
his beginning as a preacher. He had studied his Bible 
carefully from the standpoint of the Baptist teaching of 
that day, and had adopted their theories in the milder and 
more reasonable type. He w^as impressed with the obliga- 
tion to preach. He never received or believed in the 
"call" in the extravagant form in which it was usually 
claimed in those days. . He believed he could resist the 
impression, but was not inclined so to do. So long as he 
lived, he believed a man ought to feel under a solemn 
obligation to preach, to devote his time to it, and to be 
willing to sacrifice worldly good, honor and enjoy- 
ment, in order to preach the gospel, before he was 
fitted to do it effectively to man, or acceptably to 
God. There are two extremes on the subject. The 
extravagant idea of the irresistible call and the direct 
spiritual illumination qualifying the called to preach, is 
one extreme, that tends to a disregard of the Bible, and a 
neglect of its study, and a substitution of the dreams, 
fancies and experiences of ill -balanced minds for the 
preaching of the word of God. The other extreme is, 
that it is the duty of every man who possesses the intel,- 
lectual and speaking abilities, regardless of the sense of 
obligation pressing him to it, to become a preacher. It is 
the duty of every Christian to teach the Christian religion 
in his association with the world. But for a r^n to 
undertake to devote himself to the work of a teacher of 
the Christian religion without feeling to some extent with 
Paul, "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel," is to intro- 
duce a secularizing, mercenary spirit into the church, that 
preaches when convenient, and turns to other callings as 
best suits the fancy or interest of the individual. It 
lightly regards the work, and brings religion itself into 



Marries mid Begins to Preach. 53 

disrepute, aud will spread an indifferent and uncertain 
spirit of devotion in the church. 

This .sense of obligation does not arise from a direct and 
personal call from God, but the influences and teachings 
of the Scriptures, on minds of certain constitutions produce 
this feeling of obligation. Unless a man, under the 
teachings of the Bible, feels the desire for a work, he is 
not fitted for the work. A man's duty is to study the 
word of God, faithfully, drink into its spirit, and then 
follow that work, that his inclinations under these Divine 
influences, impress upon him. A preacher who turns to 
or from the work, as his convenience or interests would 
dictate, as he would from a secular calling, will never 
ben^efit or build up the church. The chiefest objection to 
taking youths and educating them for the ministry, 
arises just here, they make the choice before they know 
their true inclinations, as tested by the influences of the 
world, and once trained for the work, they feel they must 
follow it for a living, even if the inclinations lead to other 
callings, or to a desire for wealth and honor, and 
a professional preacher is the result ; this is always a 
curse to the church. He preaches for a living for him- 
self, not to save souls. He preaches what will please 
men — those who pay Avell — not Avhat will please God. 
Such men are corrupters of the truth of God and per- 
verters of his service. They cannot be otherwise. No 
man is fitted to be a teacher of the religion of Christ, 
unless he feels "woe is me, if I preach not the gospel of 
Christ," with the emphasis upon the gospel of Christ. 
And no man who feels that wealth or worldly honor or 
popularity is essential to his happiness, should ever devote 
himself to preaching. 

Brother Sewell made his first talk, as a preacher, at his 



54 Life of Jesse L. Seivell. 

father's house, one night during the week. He had dili- 
gently studied his Bible for some years, he had said noth- 
ing to his Avife of his purpose. She went with him to 
meeting and learned it first when he arose to speak. She 
was "cut up" that he had said nothing to her about it. 
They walked home without speaking a word. Awhile 
after reaching home, she said, ''Well, there is no use to 
be silly about it, I suppose from to-night's work you 
intend to preach." He responded, "Yes; do you object 
to it? " She had made up her mind at once never to be a 
hinderance to him, and said, "No, if you will make a 
preacher and not be a mere gouger. We have plenty of 
gougers already." 

He, more closely than ever, studied the Bible, began to 
preach around in other neighborhoods and went with his 
uncle, Wm. B. Sewell, the pastor of the Wolf River 
church. His disposition to study thoroughly and closely 
whatever he attempted, and his critical mind and 
well balanced judgment, led him to a different style 
of preaching from the Baptist preachers generally of 
that country. He preached what he learned from the 
Bible. This was new to the people and interested 
them, and they soon set him down as destined to 
be one of the foremost preachers of the age. They 
could not see how one so young could know so much 
about the Bible ; they thought it the gift of God ; the 
preachers, however, feeling reproved by his knowledge of 
the Bible, as compared with their own ignorance of it, or 
envious of the favor he gained with the people, or really 
alarmed lest vital, heartfelt religion should be sacrificed or 
suffer from this book preaching, soon began to complain 
that he preached too much about and from the Bible, and 
not enough about the work of the grace of God in the 



Marries and Begins to Preach. 55 

heart, and the converting power of the Holy Ghost. 
They were afraid he would sacrifice heart exptrience for a 
book religion. While he was yet regarded a sound Bap- 
tist preacher, he and a brother preacher were from home 
preaching together. Sunday morning when they started 
for the meeting, his companion observed Jesse had his 
Bible. He turned and very seriously said to him : 

''Brother Sewell, I am sorry to see you carry that book 
with you, to church." 

"Why so?" asked Brother Sewell. 

He replied, "lam afraid the people will think we 
learned our sermons out of it." 

This was the very thing Brother Sewell was, even then, 
trying to do. The other was ashamed of it. With him 
to learn from the Bible what to preach, was to ignore and 
deny the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, was to 
surrender and trample under foot, the claim that he was a 
chosen mouth -piece of the Almighty, and it was to dis- 
robe his preaching of its divine authority and make it the 
imagination of a poor human being. 

But here the divergence between Jesse Sewell and his 
Baptist brethren began. He believed the Bible was the 
revelation of God to man. The Bible was revealed by 
the Holy Spirit, and to find the will of God or the teach- 
ing and direction of the Spirit, man must go to the Bible, 
study it, learn of it, take it into the heart, drink into the 
Spirit pervading it; and the preacher's business was to 
preach this word of God to the world. He believed the 
will of God was given in language that the honest and 
true hearted of the common people can understand. It 
was especially adapted to them and given to teach and 
guide them in the way of life eternal. This, whose influ- 
ence was hardly perceived at first, was the fundamental 



56 Life of Jesse L. SeweU. 

principle that separated Jesse SeweU from his Baptist 
brethren. «As yet he had no thought that the positions 
and doctrines of the Baptists were wrong, nor did he have 
the most remote idea of separating from them or even of 
introducing new topics of thought or questions of discus- 
sions among them. 

When a man conscientiously and above all things else, 
seeks to know, that he may do the will of God, I believe 
God will bring him to the knowledge of that will. He so 
treated Saul. He is no respecter of persons. What he 
did for Saul, under similar conditions he will do for all 
others. Saul lived in the days of miracles and we do not. 
But God is as able to effect his ends through law as 
through miracle. But discrimination must be used in 
accepting this truth, caution must be had lest we be mis- 
led. Many construe it, if a man is true to his own con- 
science, he will be brought to the truth and will be safe. 
This is to make conscience the standard and the Savior. 
A man must be conscientious; the conscience must be 
clean, void of oifence, or man cannot be saved. But a 
good conscience alone cannot save. The will of God must 
be the standard, and the saving efficacy is through it. A 
man may so exalt and honor his conscience, as to place it 
in the stead of God. It then becomes a rival of God, de- 
thrones God and conscience becomes the deity and Savior. 
This is to deify humanity. It may be lived up to faithfully 
in all things and yet be indifferent to God and his honor. 
Such a conscience is a hindrance, and not a helper, to sal- 
vation. But when a man makes God the .object of his 
honor and his devotion, and seeks above all else to know 
his will, and keeps his own conscience pure and clean, that 
he may bring a good conscience to the service of God, God 
will bring that man to the knowledge of the truth. 



3Iarries and Begins to Preach. 57 

"The end of the commandment is love out of a pure 
heart and a good conscience and of faith unfeigned." 
And the Savior said : "If any man wills to do his will, 
he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God, or 
whether I speak for myself." 

Jesse Sewell did not simply seek a good and true con- 
science as a sufficient and safe guide and guarantee of sal- 
vation, but to know the will of (lod that from a pure 
heart with a good conscience and in unfeigned faith, he 
might do that will. God responds to such seeking as fully 
now as he did in the days of Saul. He does it often in 
simple and unexpected ways. 

An older brother, W. B. Sewell, in the year 1840, mar- 
ried a member of the church of Christ. This threw him 
with the disciples, carried him to their meetings and caused 
him to hear their preaching. He was attracted by their 
plea, to lay aside all opinions and inventions of men as 
having no place in the service of God, and to adopt the word 
of God, as the only and sufficient rule of faith. The sim- 
plicity of the Lord's day worship and their study of, and 
readiness to follow the word of God, commended them to 
his better judgment and he partook of the Lord's supper 
with these people. This gave great umbrage to his Bap- 
tist brethren, and they speedily arraigned him before the 
Wolf River church, of which he was clerk, and his father 
and almost the whole Sewell family were members. On 
the day of trial his uncle, W. D. Sewell, was moderator. 
William being clerk of the church, had the Articles of 
Faith and Rules of Decorum ; holding this in one hand 
and the New Testament in the other, he asked by which of 
the books, would they try him ? insisting he must be tried 
by one or the other of them. While he was up, an old 
member, Jesse Hull, moved his exclusion, another member 



58 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

seconded it, and it was at once put to the vote, and the 
majority voted to exclude him, without a trial. Another 
uncle, J. A. Sewell, said to him as the vote was being 
put, ' ' We will try you by a rule we have among us, that 
we think we got from the Bible." But no trial or rule 
was given except to vote him excluded. 

In the exclusion of William from the church, Jesse took 
no part and said nothing. But after it was over, Jesse 
said to William, '*I think you made a mistake in com- 
muning with those people, and I think I can show you so 
from the Bible." William replied, '* If you can show me 
by the Bible, I did wrong, I will gladly retract and con- 
fess my wrong." From this an earnest Bible investigation 
began, continued from time to time as they would meet, 
through several weeks, and embracing all the points of 
difference between the Baptists and disciples. Jesse 
would read and study and think he had his proof irresisti- 
ble. They would meet and discuss matters, Jesse would 
retire feeling himself worsted. He would again prepare 
himself, feeling sure, now, to retire again feeling he had 
failed. These discussions embraced the power and suffi- 
ciency of the word of God, in converting the sinner, an(J 
guiding the Christian, and as a rule of faith for the 
church of God, the doctrine of total hereditary depravity 
and the direct operation of the Spirit. 

His diligent and close study of the Bible, and these 
discussions with his brother William, gradually brought 
him to see the errors of these Baptists and the simple 
truth, that the word of God is the seed of the kingdom, 
that it, believed and received into the heart, converts and 
changes the heart, and obeyed brings a man into Christ, 
perfects him as a Christian, and fits him as a child of God 
to dwell with his Father forever. 



Marries aiid Begins to Preach. 59 

The striking characteristic of Jesse Sewell at this time, 
was a determination to be with a true heart and a good 
conscience, loyal to God, and a determination to be true to 
his word. As he learned these truths, they showed them- 
selves in his preaching, which excited the fears of his 
Baptist brethren. 

A word as to Wm. B. Sewell and his wife. They were 
the instruments through which the Sewell family were 
brought to the truth. We know nothing of her, save 
that through her conversation her husband was won, and 
many years ago, she departed to be with Christ. He 
was never a preacher, but he studied the Bible, talked of 
it to those who were near to him, and led them to see the 
truth. He not only was instrumental in bringing Jesse, 
but his younger brothei-s also. He lived some distance 
from the family, but usually visited them at the time of 
the monthly preaching, and would talk with them of the 
matter preached and test it by the word of God. Isaac 
says, he led him to see much of the truth by starting him 
to find in the Scriptures, evidence of the direct influence 
of the Spirit in conversion, and pointed out to him that 
the Epistles were all written to Christians and not to sin- 
ners. This led to the study of the proper division of the 
Scripture, and investigation of these subjects led him to 
see many scriptural truths that he had not seen before. 

The influence exerted through these two persons, in 
their quiet way and in the private walks of life, shows 
how God uses simple, unthought-of, and, as they appear 
to us, fortuitous circumstances to eflfect his ends. It 
teaches the lesson, that fidelity to God and man in the 
relations we are in, is what God requires at our hands, 
then he will overrule for good, and out of what seems to 
us small matters of life, bring the greatest results. . 



60 Life of Jesse L. Seivell. 

He with a second wife lias lived a quiet and retired life, 
and now aged awaits in Clay County, Tennessee, the call 
of the Master. For their part in bringing Jesse Sewell 
and his brothers to see the truth, many Christian hearts 
will hold them iu kindly remembrance. 




CHAPTER VI. 



HIS TRIAL AND EXCLUSION FROM THE BAPTIST CHURCH. 

tT^HE Wglf River Church, of which Jesse Sewell Avas 
&\(s) a member, belonged to the Stockton's Valley Asso- 
ciation of United Baptists. This association was composed 
of twelve churches, which had rejected the hyper Calvin- 
ism of the Primitive Baptists, but held nearly with the 
Missionary Baptists of the present day, save they did not 
believe in missionary work, or perhaps it would more 
fairly represent them, to say, they did not believe in socie- 
ties and organizations for this work, especially those rest- 
ing on a money basis membership. The question did not 
seem to be fully settled among them. They made efforts 
for converting sinners among themselves. This implies 
that effort should be made to teach those in darkness the 
way of life. If it is right to teach our children and 
neighbors, then every being in darkness and sin becomes 
our neighbor, to whom we should carry the word of life. 
Still they opposed evQn the support of j^reacherg, and did 
Dothiug to aid them in spreading the truth. In the year 
1836, the Stockton Valley Association had declared by 
special resolution — Article 6 of minutes — non - fellowship 
with the Baptist State Convention, on the ground they 
had formed an association for missionary work, and espe- 
cially that a money basis membership had been adopted. 
The question had excited controversy within the churches 

(61) 



62 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

composing this association. Efforts were being made to 
secure the repeal of this resolution that the churches 
might CO - operate Avith the State Convention. The asso- 
ciation met with the Wolf River Church including the 
fourth Lord's day in September, 1842. 

Jesse Sewell, although his preaching had been objected 
to by some of his brethren, was elected delegate to the 
association from his church. The discussion concerning 
the repeal of the resolution declaring non- fellowship with 
the State Convention, was earnest, and excited much and 
deep interest. The vote was not taken until Monday 
afternoon. The churches were equally divided — six for, 
and six against repeal. Jesse Sewell voted against the 
repeal. He did not do this as opposing carrying the gos- 
pel to those destitute of it. But as opposed to auy new 
and human additions to the church, or organizations with- 
in it. Especially was he opposed to all associations in 
religion with a membership based on the payment of 
money, as originating a distinction in the church, at war 
with the spirit of the gospel. 

In this work, as in the whole plan of salvation, there 
are two extremes equally obnoxious to the truth of God. 
One is, that man can do nothing to help his own or the 
salvation of his fellowmen. That God must do all. All 
efforts on the part of men ; all use of his faculties to 
understand and know and do the will of God, is deroga- 
tory to the Divine Sovereignty. As though God would 
be less a sovereign, less supreme in his majesty, might and 
glory, were he to save man through the use of, and in 
harmony with the will and faculties with which he had 
endowed man, than he would be to ignore these, and save 
him as being without will or capacities to hear, understand 
and obey the wiU of God. This extreme denies to man 



His Trial and Exclusion from the Baptist Church. 63 

all capacity to use the faculties God has given him, to 
desire, understand and know the will of God, and makes 
him an irresponsible machine, moved only as he is moved 
upon, without will or choice in the matter. This makes 
God, not men, responsible alike for the salvation and ^dam- 
nation of every soul. 

The other extreme claims man has the power by his 
own wisdom to devise ways for saving men and honoring 
God. This deifies man, and leads him to exercise the pre- 
rogatives that God has reserved to himself, that is, to legis- 
late for and direct the service of man. One system would 
have made David fold his arms and sit still on the field 
of battle waiting for God without any will or act of the 
creature to slay the giant and deliver his people. The 
other system would have sent him forth, clothed in Saul's 
armor, to fight God's battles. Either course would have 
brought destruction to David. David refused to follow 
either of these courses. He put Saul's armor off* of him, 
and said, I cannot fight in these. They are not proved. 
But he chose the approved weapons of God, and went 
forth in the faithful and diligent use of God's chosen 
weapons, foolish and unfitted, in man's wisdom, and 
through God's guiding hand, slew the enemy of God, 
saved God's people, exalted the name of God and secured 
to himself the blessing of a faithful servant of God, and 
yet there was no weapon, of human wisdom, in the hand 
of David. 

Both extremes are ruinous. There is a medium 
ground of safety to man aud honor to God, David under- 
stood and followed. The lesson taught, was: 

1. Man must fight God's battles, if he would share 
God's blessing.* 

2. He cannot fight them without God's help. 



64 Life of Jesse L. SeivelL 

3. God's help cannot be had when man seeks to fight 
God's battles with weapons of human wisdom. 

4. He can only do it in using faithfully, diligently 
and courageously the appointments of God, even though 
they^eem to human wisdom wholly inadequate to the end 
proposed. In using them in God's name, for God's honor, 
God himself fights with and through man. When man 
displaces the weakest of God's appointments with the 
wisest and greatest of man's inventions, he substitutes 
human weakness for Divine power and drives God out of 
the conflict. 

These are illustrations in carnal warfare, given by God 
to teach the principles involved in spiritual warfare, and 
all these points were in controversy among the religious 
people fifty to sixty years ^go. 

The revulsion from the idea, that man can do nothing, 
ran to the extreme of claiming he can form and frame 
institutions and form churches, not after the Divine order, 
but as seems to human wisdom best fitted for efiectiveness 
and power in reaching and guiding men. 

Men, in their proneness to extremes, have usually 
adopted one or the other of these errors, to wit : do noth- 
ing and leave God to save without care or efibrt on man's 
part ; or on the other hand, to displace the order of God 
by an order resting on the wisdom of men. 

The clearness with which Brother Sewell thus early saw 
the truth of Scripture, is remarkable, and shows the sin- 
gleness of heart he brought to the study of the Scriptures, 
as well as the diligence with which he studied the Avord of 
God, and the freedom from prejudices and theories of his 
own that enabled him to grasp the great foundation prin- 
cij^le of the Christian religion. 

The greatest hindrance to man's seeing the truth is 



His Trial and Exclusion from tJie Baptist Church. 65 

given by Paul, ( Romans x ) : " For being ignorant of 
God's righteousness, ( plan of making men righteous ) and 
seeking to establish their own righteousness, (plan of 
making men righteous) they have not submitted them- 
selves to the righteousness of God." God's righteousness 
is something to be submitted to. And men are hindered 
from seeing and walking in the way of saving men 
ordained by God, by, in their wisdom and strength, having 
ways of their own in which to walk, and to build up, so 
do not seek with an humble and meek spirit to learn the 
will of God. 

There is a wide difference between using our faculties 
and abilities to learn and understand the wdll of God, the 
ways he has ordained that we may walk in them and be 
blessed, and using them to invent ways of our own through 
which we will save ourselves and our fellowmen and honor 
God. The one is a trusting faith that leads to God, the 
other is a presumptuous spirit that sets aside the Divine 
will, dethrones God and sets man in the place of Gcd. 
All learning, all wisdom, all mental training, all earthly 
possessions brought in child -like faith and trust, and laid 
at the feet of Jesus, used to learn and know and do his 
will, are acceptable to God and helpful to man. But wis- 
dom and learning used to invent new ways for serving 
God, or to add to the ways and appointments of God, are 
hurtful to man and offensive to God. The institutions 
and inventions of man embody the wisdom and strength 
of man. Those given by God are the means through 
which God exerts his power to bless those who in faith 
and love walk in them. The spirit that leads to devise or 
to walk in the inventions and ways of man, instead of in 
those of God, is a presumptuous and sinful spirit. The 
service rendered through this, is a will service, is our own 



66 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

work, is a work resting on the precepts or commandments 
of men. Stands in the wisdom of men and not in the 
wisdom and power of God, allows boasting, and always 
leads and weans him who walks in it, away from God. 
The righteousness attained through service in these ways 
of man, is a human righteousness, is our own righteous- 
ness, which is but filthy rags, and unfits to dwell with 
God. 

Jesse Sewell saw clearly this distinction from the begin- 
ning and voted against the repeal of Article 6, because to 
repeal it was to adopt the wisdom of man and the institu- 
tions devised by man's wisdom, in lieu of the wisdom of 
God, and the order given by him, and in which, alone, 
God's help and power can be found. 

Brother Sewell believed God had revealed his will to 
man in language that common men in their lost and 
ruined estate would understand, accept and obey. That 
it is the privilege of everyone, who wills, to accept the 
terms of mercy ofiered through Christ the Redeemer, and 
that it is not only the duty, but should be esteemed a high 
and exalted privilege, for the children of God to carry 
the glad news of salvation through Christ to those who 
are in darkness. His whole life was an afiirmation of his- 
living faith in this as a precious privilege of every child 
of God. But he believed the church of God and the pro- 
visions made by God and revealed in the Scriptures to 
man, are the perfections of Divine wisdom for the conver- 
sion and salvation of the whole world. 

That there was nothing of the antinomian spirit in this 
vote against the repeal of the sixth article of the associa- 
tion, is made very clear by the fact, that on the very next 
Lord's day in that church, he preached a discourse from 
Romans i : 16 : "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of 



His Trial and Exdimon from the Baptist Church. 67 

Christ, for it is tlie power of God to salvation to everyone 
that believe th, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek," 
and illustrated the meaning of this with Peter's discourse 
on Pentecost, (Acts ii). In which he showed that Peter 
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, presented Christ 
as the Son of God, gave the testimonies on which faith in 
him must rest, men were required to hear this message, 
weigh the testimonies, and when convinced of the truth 
that Jesus is the Son of God, they asked, what shall we 
do? and the Spirit told them, ** Repent, and be baptized, 
every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the re- 
mission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy 
Spirit, >i^ ^ >t^ and as many as gladly received his word 
were baptized, and there were added unto them the same day 
about three thousand souls." This discourse, coming so 
immediately following the vote on the association, leaves 
no doubt as to the motive that led in that. Accountabili- 
ty to hear and receive the gospel on the part of the sinner, 
and the corresponding responsibility on the part of the 
Christian to carry it to " all that are afar off" is clearly 
asserted and maintained. 

This sermon aroused quite an excitement in the church 
at Wolf River. Jenkins Tompkins, a Baptist preacher 
who began to preach at the same time with Jesse, one 
night during the week following, replied to this sermon, 
to which Jesse replied. Thie was kept up one night of 
each week through the month until the next monthly 
meeting of the Wolf River Church. At this meeting of 
the church, fii-st Saturday in November, 1842, this differ- 
ence in teaching was reported to the church, and the 
charge was made against both preachers, that they were 
preaching contradictory doctrines. The trial was post- 
poned .to the first Saturday in December, both preachers 



68 Life of Jesse L. SeweU. 

being permitted to continue to preach until that time. 

In this discussion, this argument is distinctly remem- 
bered and reported by Isaac C. Sewell. Tompkins took 
the building of Solomon's Temple as illustrative of the 
building of the spiritual temple of God. For this temple 
every stone was prepared and made ready, completely 
fitted for the place it was to occupy in the Temple, so that 
the sound of hammer or tool was not heard in the build- 
of that Temple. So the Holy Spirit prepares the sinner, 
fits and makes him ready for the church or spiritual tem- 
ple of God, without human agency or instrumentality. 
He held that "the Spirit of God convicts of sins, gives 
repentance and faith in the remission of sins, and that 
completed the conversion of the individual and made him 
a Christian before and without baptism." 

To this Jesse replied, ''The material was prepared for 
the Temple, but that did not make the Temple, there was 
no Temple until the material was brought together and 
laid up or put in place. So the sinner is prepared by 
faith and repentance, to be laid in the spiritual temple, 
but that does not constitute him a part of the temple until 
he is laid or placed in the temple of God, which is done 
in baptism. And in the New Testament there is not a 
promise to an individual outside of Christ. And they put 
on Christ by being baptized into Christ. (Gal. iii : 27.) 
We then are delivered from the powers of darkness, and 
are translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, in 
whom we have redemption through his blood, even the 
forgiveness of sins." (Col. i: 13, 14; Eph. i: 7). 

From which he argued as there is no remission out of 
Christ, and there is but one way to get into Christ, that 
is, we are baptized into Christ, there can be no assurance 
or ground of pardon without baptism. Also John x ; "I 



His Tried and Exclusion from tJie Baptist Church. 60 

am the door, by me if any man enter in he shall be 
saved." So we enter into Christ, and inherit the bless- 
ings in Christ through baptism. This continued one night 
each week for two months with similar arguments. 

On the first Sunday in December the church met for 
the trial, with Elder Wm. D. Sewell, uncle of Jesse, as 
the chairman and moderator of the church meeting. The 
case was immediately called. They first took up the case 
of Tompkins. He arose and stated, that if he had 
preached anything contrary to Baptist doctrine he wished 
to be curtailed, upon which the question was put, to know 
if the church still held any charges against him. The 
vote was taken and he was declared innocent of antago- 
nizing any Baptist doctrine, by a unanimous vote. The 
case against Jesse Sewell was then taken up. Stephen 
Sewell, his father, insisted they must specify the charges 
they had against him plainly, and then try him by the 
Scriptures, which was seconded by Joseph Sewell, his 
nephew, and by Richard Raburn, another member. Im- 
mediately the Moderator arose, and made a speech against 
it, and gave as a reason, it would run into an endless 
debate. Tompkins stated that he (Jesse) had run fully into 
Campbellism, if there was any point of Campbellism into 
which he had not gone, he did not know what it was. 
Then Peter Ragan, a visiting old preacher, stated what 
Campbellism is, to -wit: **It denied faith, repentance 
and the influence of the Spirit, and made a God of the 
water. And if I am rightly informed, that is the" doctrine 
that has been preached here by Jesse Sewell." To which 
Jesse replied : If Campbell lived eighteen hundred years 
ago, and was the author of the New Testament, he had 
gotten his doctrine from Campbell, but not, unless this is 
true. As he did not remember ever to have read a page 



70 lAfe of Jesse L. Sewell. 

of Campbell's writings in his life. He got his doctrine 
exclusively from the New Testament. The trial lasted 
three hours. Hardy Hopkins, a member, asked him if he 
was willing to remain in the church and not preach that 
doctrine any more. To which Jesse replied, he could not 
see why they should be willing to retain him in the 
church, knowing that he believed these things, and if he 
preached at all, he must preach just what he did believe 
the Bible taught. It seems from Brother Hopkins' ques- 
tion, that he is willing to retain even the devil in the 
church, if he will not show his cloven foot, and he was 
not willing to accede to the proposition. After which the 
question was put as to wii ether they would retain him in 
the church. About one half dozen out of fort}^ members 
present voted to exclude him, the others not voting. So 
soon as the vote was taken, without a record of the vote, 
or announcement of the decision, the assembly arose and 
left the house, in confusion. 

The next monthly meeting was disappointed by high 
water. The case laid over until the first Saturday in Feb- 
ruary, wdien the cliurch again met, and AY. D. Sewell, 
the moderator, being absent, John Garrett, a visiting 
preacher present, was chosen moderator for the day. The 
case was called and the moderator announced that Jesse 
L. Sewell was excluded from their fellowship, and that 
the church was no more responsible for his teaching or 
conduct. Upon which four other members, I. C. Sewell, 
his brother, Elizabeth A. Sewell, his wife, and Lucretia 
Sewell, his sister, and another, asked that their names be 
taken oiF the church list, upon which they were all ex- 
cluded by a vote of the church. Then the clerk asked 
how to make the record? To w^hich John Garrett re- 
sponded, make it ''for teaching heresy." To which Jesse 



His Tinal and Exdiision from the Baptist Church 71 

replied, "That would be recording a falsehood, and that 
they could not make a true record in any other way, than 
by stating that he was excluded for preaching * faith, 
repentance and baptism, for the remission of sins.'" 
After some discussion it was agreed the record should be 
so made, which was done. 



-^' — ^- "^ • '• 



.>£^^'°^^:^:2<, 



CHAPTER Vn. 



THE TEACHING OF THE BIBLE. 

oTESSE SEWELL was excluded from the Baptist 
Vj Church on the charge of heresy, vulgarly by its 
enemies, called " Campbellism," and as he found himself in 
complete harmony and lived and labored through life for 
the advocacy of these truths, it is well that we distinctly 
understand the faith and leading principles of the disci- 
ples. In the reformation that broke oH' from Romanism, 
led by Luther and others, each party had formulated a 
creed containing what it regarded the fundamental teach- 
ing of the Bible, this involved more the theories as to 
God and his purposes and methods of work, than concern- 
ing the faith and life essential to the Christian character. 
Each party made its theory a standard of faith. Every 
new theory on questions purely speculative created a new 
party, with a new creed. Every varying shade of Cal- 
vinism called for a new party and a new creed. These 
parties were more tenacious of their creeds, more zealous 
of the growth of these parties than of the honor of God 
and the salvation of man. This evil of party division 
and party strife had reached such a degree that moderate 
men who read the Bible deplored it, and earnestly desired 
to cure the evil. Thomas Campbell was a member of the 
Seceder church of Scotland, a branch of the Presbyterian 
or Calvinistic church. He came to America and in this 
newly settled country, Avith no by-law established religion, 
(72) 



The Teaching of the Bible, 73 

be saw the evil of every little village aud sparse settle- 
meut, being afflicted with two or three coutendiDg and 
striving sects, each more anxious to outstrip its rivals than 
to convert sinners. He saw the evil of arraying against 
each other talent that ought to be united against the com- 
mon enemy of God and man. He saw the evil of sus- 
taining two or three religious establishments where they 
were not able to maintain one, but above all, he saw that 
these divisions directly antagonized the teaching of the 
Savior, derogated from the honor of God, divided and 
drew into strife those God intended should be one with 
him and with one another, and that they stood as the 
chief hindrance in the way of the salvation of the human 
family. He wrote an address to the religious public to 
arouse their minds to the enormity of the evil and to 
God's remedy for this evil. His address began thus : 

" Dearly Beloved Brethren: — That it is the grand design and 
native tendency of our holy religion to reconcile and unite 
men to God and to each other, in truth and in love, to the 
glory of God, and their own present and eternal good, will not, 
we presume, l)e denied by any of the genuine subjects of 
Christianity. ••' * In so far as this holy unity and unanimity 
in faith and love is attained, just in the same degree is the 
^lory of God and the happiness of men promoted and secured. 
Impressed with these sentiments, and, at the same time, griev- 
ously nffooted with those sad divisions which have so awfully 
int('rfered with tlie benign and gracious intention of our holy 
rolirrion, by excitinf; its professed subjects to bite and devour 
one another, we cannot sujipose ourselves justifiable in with- 
holding the mite of our sincere and humble endeavors to heal 
and remove them. • 

"What awful and distressing effects have those sad divisions 
produrcd! Wliat aversions, what reproaches, what back- 
biting, what evil surmisinors, what ancrry contentions, what 
enmities, what excommunications, and even persecutions!!! 



Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 



And, indeed, this must, in some measure, continue to be the 
case so long as schisms exist; for, saith the apostle, where 
envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 
What dreary effects of those accursed divisions are to be seen 
in even this highly favored country, where the sword of the 
civil magistrate has not as yet learned to minister at the altar. 
Have we not seen congregations broken to pieces, neighbor- 
hoods- of professing Christians thrown into confusion by party 
strifes, and in the end entirely deprived of gospel ordinances, 
while in the meantime, large settlements and tracts of country 
remain to this day entirely destitute of a gospel ministry, the 
churches being so weakened with division that they cannot 
send them ministers, or the people so divided among them- 
selves that they will not receive them. 

" Thus while professed Christians bite and devour one an- 
other, they are consumed one of another, or fall a prey to the 
righteous judgments of God ; meantime, the truly religious of 
all parties are grieved, the weak stumbled, the graceless and 
profane hardened, the mouths of the infidels opened to blas- 
pheme religion, and thus the only thing under heaven divinely 
efficacious to promote and secure the present spiritual and 
eternal good of men, even the gospel of the blessed Jesus, is 
reduced to contempt, while the multitudes, deprived of a gos- 
pel ministry, fall an easy prey to seducers and thus become 
dupes of almost unheard-of delusions." 

This is the sad picture of the divisions and strifes as he 
saw it at that day. He proposed this remedy : 

" To restore unity, peace and purity to the whole church of 
God. This desirable rest, however, we utterly despair either 
to find ourselves, or to be able to recommend to our brethren, 
by continuing amid the diversity and rancor of party conten- 
tions, the veering uncertainty and clashings of human opinions, 
no^ indeed, can we reasonably expect to find it anywhere, but 
in Christ, and his simple word, which is the same yesterday, 
to-day and forever. Our desire, therefore, for our brethren 
and ourselves, would be, that rejecting human opinions and the 
inventions of men as of any authority, or as having any place 



The Teaching of the Bible. 75 

in the church of God, we might forever cease from further con- 
tentions about such things, returning to and hol'ding fast by 
the original standard, taking the Divine word alone for our 
rule ; the Holy Spirit for our teacher and guide, to lead us into 
all truth * ■• that, by so doing, we may be at peace among our- 
selves, follow peace with all men. and holiness, without which 
no man shall see the Lord. 

" We form ourselves into a religious association '•• '•'■ * for the 
sole purpose of promoting simple, evangelical Christianity, 
free from all mixture of human opinions and inventions of 
men. 

" This society shall, to the utmost of its power, countenance 
and support such ministers, and such only, as exhibit a mani- 
fest conformity to the original standard in conversation and 
doctrine, in zeal and diligence, '•' * * without attempting to 
inculcate anything of human authority, of private opinion, or 
inventions of men, as having any place in the constitution, 
faith or worship of the Christian churcli, or anything as matter 
of Christian faith or duty, for which there cannot be expressly 
produced, a ' Thus saith the Lord, either in express terms, or 
by approved precedents.' 

" Our differences at most are about things in which the king- 
dom of God does not consist, that is, about matters of private 
opinion and human invention. What a pity that the kingdom 
of God should be divided about such ! Who then would not 
be the first among us to give up human invention in the wor- 
ship of God, and to cease from imposing his private opinions 
upon his brethren, that our breaches might be thus healed ? 

"There is nothing we have hitherto received as matter of 
faith or practice, which is not expressly taught and enjoined 
in the word of God, either in express terms or approved prece- 
dent, that we would not readily relinquish, that so we might 
return to the original constitutional unity of the Christian 
church, and in this happy unity, enjoy full communion with 
all our brethren, in peace and charity. * * '■'" To this we 
call, we invite our brethren of all denominations, by all the 
sacred motives which we have avouched as the impulsive rea- 
sons for our thus addressing them. 



76 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 



"To you, therefore, it peculiarly belongs, as the professed 
and acknowledged leaders of the people, to go before them in 
this good work, to remove human opinions and inventions of 
men out of the way, by carefully separating this chaff, from 
the pure wheat of primary and authentic revelation, casting 
out that assumed authority, that enacting and decreeing power 
by which these things have been imposed and established. 
To the ministerial department, then, do w^e look with anxiety. 
* * * His dying commands, his last, and ardent prayers for 
the visible unity of his professing people, will not suffer you 
to be indifferent in this matter. 

" Nothing ought to be received into the faith or worship of 
the church, or be made a term of communion among Chris- 
tians, that is not as old as the Ncav Testament. 

"A partial neglect in some instances of the expressed will of 
God, and in others an assumed authority for making the appro- 
bation of human opinions and human inventions a term of 
communion, by introducing them into the constitution, faith 
or worship of the church, are, and have been, the immediate, 
obvious and universally acknowledged causes of all the corrup- 
tions that have taken place in the church of God. 

"That in all their administrations they keep close by the 
observance of the Di^^ne ordinances, after the example of the 
primitive church, exhibited in the New Testament without 
any additions whatsoever of human opinions or inventions of 
men." 

Alexander CamjDbell, a young man, on coming to 
America, found his father having printed the Declaration 
and Address, heartily approved its principles, entered into 
its advocacy, and being more earnest and aggressive in his 
advocacy than his father, soon became the recognized 
leader in the movement to restore the New Testament as 
the only creed and rule of faith for the churches of God, 
and the Christian religion in faith and practice, in organi- 
zation, work and worship to the original form and order 
given it by God. We give the following extracts from 



The Teaching of tJw Bible. 77 

his writings to show the ' original end and purpose of the 
movement at reform and restoration : 

**To bring the Christianity and the church of the present 
day up to the New Testament. This is in substance what we 
contend for. To bring the societies of Christianity to the New 
Testament, is just to bring the disciples individually and col- 
lectively, to walk in the faith, and in the commands of the 
Lord and Savior, as presented in that blessed volume ; and this 
is to restore the ancient order of things. 

"The conversion of the world is an object of the dearest mag- 
nitude in the estimation of the heavens. All the attributes of 
Deity require that this grand object be achieved in a certain 
way or not at all. The way or plan the Savior has unfolded in 
his address from earth to heaven. -■• * Israel failed in his 
own way. In God's way he was successful. "VVe have failed in 
our own way, to convince the world, but in God's way we 
would be victorious. "Wisdom and benevolence combined con- 
stitute his plan, and although his ways may appear weak and 
incomprehensible, they are in their moral grandeur of wisdom 
and benevolence, as much higher than ours, as the heavens 
are higher than the earth. 

" The constitution of the kingdom of the Savior is the New 
Testament, and this alone is adapted to the existence of his 
kingdom in the world. To restore the ancient order of things, 
this must be recognized as the only constitution of this king- 
dom. And in receiving citizens they must be received into the 
kingdom just as they were received by the apostles into it, 
when they were setting it up. 

*' When any act of devotion or item of religious practice pre- 
sented itself to my view, of which I could learn nothing from 
my Master's last will and testament, I simply gave it up, and 
if I found anything there not exhibited by my fellow Chris- 
tians, I went into the practice of it, if it was the practice of an 
individual ; and if it was a social act, I attempted to invite 
others to unite with me on it. Thus I went on correcting my 
views, and returning to his institutes until I became so speckled 
a bird that scarce one of my species would cordially consociate 
with me. 



78 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

" Suppose all would abandon every word and sentence not 
found in the Bible on the subject, and quote with equal readi- 
ness every word and sentence found in the volume, how long 
would divisions on this subject exist? It would be impossible 
to perpetuate them on this plan. * * * And as to any 
injury a private opinion may do the possessor, it could on this 
principle do none to society. 

"There is a growing taste for opinionism in the ranks of the 
reformation. This must be quashed out or there is an end to 
all moral and religious improvement. It has ever been the 
harbinger of schism, the forerunner of all discord, and vain 
jangling. It has indeed been the plague of Christendom. * * 
What is an opinion ? Persuasion without proof, say some of 
our lexicographers. It is a speculation built on probable evi- 
dence. It is neither knowledge nor faith ; but in the absence 
of these, it is an inference, a conclusion to which the mind 
assents according to its information or mode of reasoning. 

"An opinionist is one fond of opinions, especially of his own. 
Opinionism then is fondness of opinions. But that I may meet 
the exigency of the crisis and give a proper latitude to this 
term, I hereby define opinionism to be the liberty of propagating 
one's own opinions. 

"Some of our correspondents suppose opinionism, as thus 
defined, to be an essential part of Christian liberty, then if any 
restrictions should be imposed on their benevolent efforts to 
propagate their opinions, they complain of an infringement of 
their rights. 

"We do not admit the right; for if this be the right of a 
Christian, then every man, woman and child in Christ's church 
has a right to propagate his or her opinions, and to complain if 
that right be not respected by all the Christian community. 
And as there is no restriction as to the number or magnitude 
of subjects on which opinions may be formed, there can be no 
limitation of the number of opinions that may be offered, 
adopted or propagated ; and thus the whole earthly pilgrimage 
of the church may be occupied in the discussion of opinions. 

"We are therefore rationally and religiously compelled to 



Th^ Teaching of the Bible. 79 

deny any such right. It is not the right of any one citizen of 
Christ's kingdom to propagate any opinion whatever, either in public 
assembly or private, consequently it is not the duty of all nor of 
any one, to listen to an opinionist in his efforts to establish his 
opinions. This is an important point, and we state it boldly 
and confidently. * * * To walk by opinions rather than 
faith, is effectually to make the book of God of no authority. 
Moreover, in the decisions of that volume, he that propagates 
an opinion or seeks to attach persons to it, or to himself on 
account of it, is a factionist in embryo, in infancy or in man- 
hood. 

" I have no doubt but all partyism now in protestant Chris- 
tendom, and most of the errors too, grew out of the neglect of 
the Scriptures quoted from Paul, and a misunderstanding of 
the faith and of untaught questions. 

"All the contentions and divisions, all the sects and parties 
in Christendom are as certainly and indisputably the effects of 
opinionism in religion as the love of money is the root of all 
evil. 

" There is one very material injury which the advocate of 
his OM-n or another's opinion, inflicts upon society, even when 
he fails to make a party ; he alienates man's ears from the voice 
of God, and turns them to himself. This is an exceeding great 
evil. 

" Zeal for an opinion, then, when brought to the touchstone 
of truth and the Bible, is mere self-love, operating in the form 
of pride. It may be yet made evident that this peculiar pride 
of opinion or understanding, enters into the essence of all par- 
tyism amongst men, nay that itself is the very spirit of discord, 
the soul of the sectary, and the demon of religious persecu- 
tion. Its name is legion, the first-born of Satan, and its brood 
are emulation, strife, wrath, sedition, treason, heresy. All the 
contentions and divisions, all the sects and parties in Christen- 
dom, are as certainly and indisputably the effects of opinionism 
as the love of money is the root of all evil." 

The purpose and aim were to eliminate everything rest- 
ing on human authority, all human opinions from the 
realm of religion and restore the authority of God as the 



80 TJije of Jesse L. SeweU, 

only rightful ruler in the spiritual kingdom of God, and 
to bring about the union of all sincere worshipers of God, 
in harmony and love, by rejecting everything resting 
upon the opinions and wisdom of man from the service of 
God, observing only what is commanded by Christ and 
the inspired apostles. 

This was the very rule Christ and the Holy Spirit gave 
to make and keep them one. Jesus prayed, that all who 
believed on him should be one and should be sanctified by 
the truth. (John xvii.) He told them that " in vain do 
ye worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments 
of men." And "every plant not planted by my Father 
shall be rooted up." " Ye make void the commandments 
of God by your tradition." (Matt, xv: 9, 13, 15.) 
"Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudi- 
ments of the world, why as though living in the world, are 
ye subject to ordinances after the commandments and doc- 
trines of men, which things have indeed a show of wisdom 
and will -worship, and humility and neglecting the body." 
And then, "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in 
the name of the Lord Jesus." (Col. ii: 17.) Then the 
<?losing warning of Revelation, " If any man shall add 
unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that 
are written in this book. And if any man shall take 
away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take 
away his part out of the book of life, and out of. the holy 
city, and from the things which are written in this book." 
It seems strange that such a proposition, so honoring to 
God, so fuU of promise to the church and to humanity, 
should not have been gladly accepted by every believer in 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Especially when it was God's own 
rule for the union of his people, his honor and the salva- 
tion of the world. It is especially strange that the Bap- 



The Teaching of the Bible. 81 

tists who have always claimed to stick close to the word of 
God and to keep the ordinances as first delivered, should 
have refused such a proposition. 

While A. Campbell, by virtue of his superior talent 
and force of character, became a leader in the work, 
almost simultaneously with this movement and independ- 
ent of it, efforts to the same end began in other places. 
It seems frequently to work this way. When Luther 
started the reformation in Germany it simultaneously 
sprang up in different countries of Europe. Each inde- 
pendent of the movements in other countries.. Under the 
workings of providence, when a church becomes corrupt 
and dead, forces work to bring about a revulsion and 
reformation, and when the people are ripe for a reforma- 
tion God provides the men to lead it. So in various parts 
of this country it was now. Others saw the same evils 
and adopted the same means to cure the evils, by turning 
to the word of God and excluding all the opinions and 
inventions of men, practicing only what is plainly required 
in the Scriptures of truth. 

A movement of this kind began in Kentucky under the 
lead of Barton W. Stone, assisted by the Rogers, John- 
son, Morton, the Creaths and others. ' Starting from dif- 
ferent standpoints the rule laid down brought them to see 
alike and made them one people. Those connected with 
the Stone movement first came into the mountain districts 
of Kentucky and Tennessee. Among these were Dr. W 
D. Jordan, who only recently died at an advanced age in 
Missouri. Isaac T. Reneau, the Mulkey's, J. C. Smith, 
Alvin Hovey, John Emerson. These started a good dis- 
tance apart, but following the same rule, they came 
together as one brotherhood in Christ. Jesse Sewell be- 
came familiar with the plea for this return to the Bible 
6 



82 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

and for union on the Bible, through his brother William 
and his wife, as heretofore presented. 

So soon as he understood it, Jesse adopted the rule, 
readily and heartily ; for he had reverenced the Bible as 
the word of God from his childhood. The adoption of the 
rule at once stopped everyone, who in truth accepted it, 
from all human reasoning and philosophising, cut them off 
from all human creeds, confessions and systems of .the- 
ology, and brought them down to the one single question. 
What does God teach in the Bible ? It led to the study 
of that book as the only guide to salvation from sin here, 
and from eternal destruction in the world to come. It 
exalted the teaching of the book as the only revelation of 
the will of God, and yet it brought it, and through it, 
God down to man to be studied and understood by the 
simple hearted. It is the only direction given by God to 
lead men to salvation. It is open to the comprehension 
of all who with honest hearts, will come and study it to 
be led by it. 

If it is a revelation to man as he is, a sinner, to be 
understood by the j^roper use of his faculties, it is subject 
to the same rules of interpretation as other compositions 
addressed to the human understanding. Its proper con- 
nections and divisions are to be observed. The person 
who speaks, the persons to whom a message is spoken. 
The idea rooted up every claim of the called and sent 
preacher. It destroyed his office as special messenger and 
mouth -piece for God and interpreter of his word. It also 
substituted an intelligent faith in Christ, based on the tes- 
timonies given in the Bible, concerning him, and a self- 
denying obedience to the word of God, for the dreams, 
imaginations and expmences of men as the essential ele- 
ments of true religion. Ttese two points were especially 



The Teaxihing of the Bible. 83 

resented as denying the claims of God's called and sent 
preachers, and the work of the Holy Spirit, or heartfelt 
religion, as was commonly charged. While quite a num- 
ber of all religious parties of the country accepted it, yet 
no movement in the churches in this country, since its 
settlement, has met with a more determined opposition or 
was more bitterly denounced and condemned. 

The mass of the clergy resented the attack on their 
claims, involved in the proposition that the Bible was 
addressed to the understanding of the common people, 
and that everyone by the diligent and faithful use of the 
faculties God has given him, may for himself understand 
the Bible in all of its practical and essential teachings. 

But this rule is the only one in accordance with which 
God can be acceptably served. When the Campbells 
adopted the rule, they believed in affusion for baptism 
and in infant church membership. Young Alexander 
suggested to his father, it would involve the giving up of 
infant baptism. His father doubted, but said, to the law 
and the testimony. They had started out in earnest to 
follow the word of God. They first gave up infant affu- 
sion, then affusion itself, and were baptized by a Baptist 
preacher, Matthias Luce. They refused to tell an experi- 
ence other than a confession of faith in Christ. In the 
study of the Bible they saw faith itself was based on the 
word of God and not imparted by a mysterious operation 
of the Spirit. It came through hearing the word of God. 
That repentance springing from faith in Christ Jesus, is 
the turning of the sinner in affections, purposes and life 
from a course of rebellion against God to one of love and 
service to him. And that God requires that faith and 
repentance must perfect or embody themselves in an act 
of bodilj obedience or turning to God before he promised 



84 Life of Jesse L. Seivell 

forgiveness. That act ordained by God was baptism, a 
burial — a burial out of self into Christ. This last posi- 
tion was especially offensive to the religious denominations. 

In connection with the study of these questions was that 
of spiritual influence. It was seen that the Spirit of God 
is the author of the Bible. He could not make one reve- 
lation in the Bible, a different one out of it. That the 
Bible is the whole and complete revelation of God to men. 
It is the engrafted word that is able to save the souls of 
those who meekly receive it. It is full and complete in 
its instructions, and is sufficient to make the man of God 
perfect, and to thoroughly furnish him unto all good 
works — that when a man accepts the word of God into 
his heart, and moulds his feelings, thoughts and life by 
that word, he is led by the Spirit of God. That the 
dreams, visions and experiences usually attributed to the 
Spirit are- only the imaginations of the deceitful heart of 
man, and not the influences of the Spirit of God. That 
after they become Christians the word of God must be 
studied to learn how the Christian character must be per- 
fected — that a life of daily study of the Divine will, earn- 
est, faithful prayers, praise and thanksgiving to God, with 
the meeting on the first day of the week, to steadfastly 
continue in the apostolic doctrine, the fellowship, prayer, 
breaking of bread, and mutual exhortation to the Chris- 
tian life, were universally accepted by the disciples as 
essential Christian service, and constituted what may be 
considered the distinctive features of this movement to 
restore Scripture order. It was an effort to restore in 
spirit, form and practice, the service of God, as ordained 
by Jesus Christ and the inspired apostles. 

Brother Sewell, with a heart loyal and true to God, 
fully adopted this as the end and aim of his life, and 



The Teaching of the Bible. 85 

henceforward gave his whole heart, soul, mind and body 
to the work. 

On the second Sunday in March, 1843, those mentioned 
heretofore as excluded from the Baptist church, with some 
other families and individuals in the neighborhood, met 
together as a church of Christ, taking the word of God as 
their only rule of faith and practice, excluding all opin- 
ions and inventions of men from the faith and service of 
God. There were present at this meeting, preachers in 
the church of Christ, Isaac T. Reneau, John C. Smith 
and Alvin Hovey. At this time Jesse Sewell was set 
apart to the work of evangelist, by fasting, prayer and 
laying on of hands. Elders and deacons for the church 
were set apart in the same manner, at the same time. 

On the second Sunday in April, 1843, Brother Sewell 
began preaching in his new relation, and from that time 
forward, to the day of his death, to preach the gospel of 
Christ, and present the Scriptures of sacred truth just as 
God had given them, to his fellowmen, was the chiefest 
desire of his heart, and the end of all his labors and toils 
here. The one purpose of his life was to learn the will 
of God, that he might obey it himself and teach it to 
others, that by it they might be saved. Henceforward 
all other labor, purposes and ends with him were subservi- 
ent to this the chief end of his life. 

Brother Sewell's characteristics were, a quiet, meek and 
gentle manner, great equanimity and control of temper, 
with a quick and comprehensive yet fair and just judg- 
ment. He was modest and unassuming in manner, unag- 
gressive in spirit, and yet decided in his convictions, firm 
and immovable in his aims and purposes. He made 
many friends and no enemies. 

His leading characteristic, as a preacher, was the thor- 



86 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

oughness with which he studied his subject. He first of 
all was familiar with the whole Bible. He seemed to have 
studied his subject carefully from every standpoint, to 
have viewed the bearing of every passage of Scripture 
and Scripture teaching on it and to have pondered its rela- 
tion to every other Scripture truth. And while his read- 
ing was not extensive, he made himself familiar with all 
the current systems of religious teaching. He studied 
these with the same thoroughness and fairness that he did 
the Bible. He looked at them from every standpoint, 
and when he spoke of them, he always presented them 
from the standpoint of their own advocates, hence was 
never accused of misrepresenting them. His habits of 
thought were critical and analytical as well as comprehen- 
sive iff their grasp. For ability to look on all sides of a 
question, and for clearness of perception, and to form just 
and sound conclusions, then to state them with clearness 
and critical correctness, he had few superiors. He had a 
soft and pleasant voice, a ready use of language and great 
ease in speaking, so, while nothing of an orator, he was a 
pleasant speaker, instructive teacher, and when warmed 
to his subject spoke with pathos and power. In his 
younger days, he acquired the Baptist intonations which, 
in his exhortations, he never freed himself from. But 
they were not sufficiently marked to be offensive. 

He had a good and ready memory that enabled him to 
call up and use his knowledge whenever it was needed. 
His presentation of truth was so simple and clear that all 
could understand. He presented the most aggressive 
truths in a gentle and meek manner, so that he did not 
give offence often. Those who listened to him were well 
taught, and those brought into the church by him, were 
instructed into the kingdom of God. 



. ^^^(^ 




CHAPTER Vin. 



A LIFE OF LABOR AND SELF-DENIAL. 

BROTHER SEWELL was now twenty -five years old, 
poor in this world's goods, with a young and rap- 
idly increasing family, excluded as a heretic from an old 
and popular communion, from the church of his father 
and mother and of his own early love, and found himself 
in sympathy and union with a people, poor and despised, 
and everywhere spoken against. Yet he did not stop to 
count the costs or hesitate for a moment as to his course. 

No trait of Jesse Sewell was more striking even down 
to old age, than his reverence for the word of God, his 
quiet, yet unyielding determination to be true and faith- 
ful to that word, to l)elieve and teach just what it taught 
and to follow just where it led, and to bear with cheerful- 
ness whatever lot fidelity to that truth imposed upon him. 

Eiglit children in rapid succession were born to them. 
They were to be nursed, cared for, fed, clothed, educated. 
The food and clothing were all raised and made upon the 
small and poor farm. Brother Sewell labored during the 
week in the spring and early summer with his own hands, 
planting, plowing, cultivating, reaping his grain, and on 
Saturday and Sunday went miles away to preach, often 
preaching at night in the week at some school or neigh- 
bor's house. The late summer and fall were given to 
holding protracted meetings. 

(87) 



Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 



His wife cared for the little children, cooked, milked, 
washed and ironed, carded, spun, wove, cut and made the 
family clothing. She helped work the farm at times and 
in Brother Sewell's absence, looked after and fed the 
stock, protected from depredation the growing crop and 
saved from w^aste the harvested stuff. 

The earlier years of his labors as a preacher were years 
of toil and self- denial. He preached for ten years among 
the Baptists and disciples for which he received not a cent 
in money. For many years afterward the contributions 
Were very meagre. The people were all poor, with plain, 
simple habits, with few wants, requiring but little to make 
them comfortable, and had been taught not to aid the 
preacher. They had but little money themselves and less 
to give, sometimes a little provisions, a pair of socks, 
cloth for coat or pants, the handy work of some good sis- 
ter's cards, wheel and loom, were the extent of the 
preacher's support. AVith or without this he was satisfied. 

Money did not enter into Jesse Sewell's calculation in 
preaching. No one ever heard him complain of a lack of 
support. He preached what he could. If he received 
money, he was thankful for it, because it provided for the 
few wants of the family at home, without detaining him 
from his work, to provide for them. I remember on a 
certain occasion when other preachers with much of this 
world's goods, were complaining of lack of support, some 
one asked Brother Sewell how he had fared ? With the 
air of serenity and contentment that never forsook him, 
he gave the account of his earlier experiences as above, 
but said, "With what I could do during the week, the 
help of my wife and the children as they began to grow 
up, we got along very comfortably. The care of the 
family, her labors in the house, the help she gave in out- 



A Life of Labor and Self- Denial. 89 

of -doors labor, and the responsibility of looking after and 
taking care of the little farm and our stuff, in my absence, 
was a heavy burden on her, that troubled me much, but 
she bore it cheerfully, never complained of her lot, never 
once asked me to stay at home, but always when the time 
came, said cheerfully, * Go.' " In later years, he said, he 
had been well sustained. Sometimes he went and labored 
among brethren and in communities that contributed 
nothing, but other communities gave liberally, so he was 
perfectly satisfied with the support given him. He pos- 
sessed in an eminent degree the best guarantees of a suffi- 
ciency and protection against want — industry, economy, 
simple habits, few wants and a contented spirit. A man, 
especially a preacher, that will diligently cultivate these 
qualities will have a sure protection against want. 

He lived almost wholly without money in these days, 
yet preaching on an average four to five discourses per 
week, the year round. The Bible with the family record 
was obtained thus. A book peddler brought a lot of 
Bibles, school books and writing paper to the mouth of 
Wolf River. Brother Sewell heard of it, took a canoe - 
load of corn down Wolf River and traded it for a family 
Bible. 

We do not propose to follow Brother Sewell's course 
step by step, but to give clear ideas of his life and work. 
So we give here some circumstances showing his life and 
the work of self-denial and hardships of his wife. 

When he was preaching she was left much alone with 
her little children, and was compelled to rely upon herself. 
She tells, when Brother Sewell first went off to preach, 
she felt very lonely at night, the crickets chirped unusu- 
ally loud, she felt something of a sense of fear creep over 
her. But she thought it would not do to yield to this 



90 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

feeling, as she had married him to help him in whatever 
he undertook, and although she did not then expect him 
to preach and leave her alone, still she had determined 
that she would be no hindrance to that work, so she reso- 
lutely threw off the feeling and never afterward felt any 
sense of fear. When she heard, at night, any unusual 
noise or disturbance about the yard or stable, she did not 
hesitate to go out and see what was the trouble. 'Once 
late in the night she heard an unusual noise at the stable ; 
she knew something was wrong; got up, went to the 
stable and found a young mare had lain down, got her 
feet under the trough and through the cracks of the stable. 
She knew if she was left till day she would be crippled. 
She had raised her from a colt. She had petted her, 
talked to her, until she was gentle, seemed to understand 
what was said to her. She told her to be still, and would 
first pull at her hips then her head until she was free. 
She then told her to get up, which she did unharmed. 

When Brother Sewell was in a debate at Sparta, a 
storm came and blew down every shock of their wheat 
save five. With her own hands she set the bundles up 
two and two, until it dried out, then she shocked them 
up and saved them all in good condition. 

In the year 1854 Brother Sewell made a trip to West 
Tennessee. He left home first of December, returning 
the last of March. During the trip Sister Sewell failed to 
hear from him, and suffered great uneasiness and distress, 
lest he had been lost on a boat that was sunk. But as the 
season approached for farming to begin, knowing if he 
was dead there would be the greater necessity for the work 
to go forward, to support herself and the children, she 
with her accustomed energy and determination to meet 
life as it came, repaired the fences, threshed Avith her own 



A Life of Labor and Self- Denial. 91 

hands thirty bushels of oats, with a flail, and had sowed 
over half of them before he reached home. 

In the Spring of 1855, Martin's Creek, on which they 
lived, overflowed and washed their fences away, so that 
their wheat, oats and all their fields were exposed to the 
depredation of their own and their neighbors' stock. 
Brother Sewell was from home. Sister Sewell took her 
little boys — the oldest of which was ten years of age — 
gathered the rails out of the drifts into which they had 
been washed, carried them to the places and rebuilt the 
fences so as to protect the crops. 

While living on Martin's Creek they had a little mill. 
Sister Sewell while a girl had learned to ride horseback, 
go errands, help in farm work, and often went to mill. 
Of an observing and inquisitive mind, she learned some- 
thing about running a mill. In Brother Sewell's absence 
this knowledge served her a good purpose. She attended 
the mill and became a more expert miller than Brother 
Sewell was. The neighbors preferred to bring their wheat 
to mill when she was miller. She says there is no kind of 
out- door work that she has not done. She has plowed, 
worked with the hoe, reaped with the reap -hook and cra- 
dle, sowed and threshed the grain, chopped with the axe, 
made rails with the maul and wedges, and built the fences. 
This was not done as a momentary frolic but actual labor, 
day after day, to meet the necessities of their growing 
family, greatly left to her to maintain. Yet she never 
murmured or complained at her lot. Never objected to 
Brother Sewell's going. On the other hand encouraged 
him to go, and took at all times a great interest in his 
labors and their results in converting men and women to 
Christ. She could remember more distinctly and accu- 
rately his different meetings and results than he could. 



92 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

She strengthened and helped him much in his labors by 
her cheerful self- denial and personal interest in his labors. 
She, now in her seventieth year, is still a cheerful, energet- 
ic, self-reliant woman, does her own cooking and washing,, 
sews, makes quilts and whatever she finds to be done. 
The hardest work she yet finds to do, is to sit still and 
hold her hands with nothing to do. 

Brother Sewell's private life came as near corresponding 
to his public profession as often happens with men in the 
flesh. Any man can preach better than he can practice. 
He preaches the teaching and practice of Christ. His 
practice at best, is the eflfort of w^eak humanity to practice 
these same teachings. With the best efforts men make 
there is an immeasurable distance between them. But 
Brother Sewell tried to make these principles the rule of 
his life at home. Such an effort faithfully made bears its 
fruits. His father, mother, brothers and sisters all (save 
a sister who had left the community, she some years after- 
ward did also,) soon came into the church of Christ with 
him. His three younger brothers — Isaac C, Caleb W., 
and Elisha G. — all became preachers, useful and well 
known. Isaac did much preaching through the mountain 
counties, then in Wilson and Rutherford Counties, Ten- 
nessee. He was instrumental in planting the church in 
Lebanon, as well as some others in these and adjoining 
counties. He never married. For fifteen years past has 
lived in Lake County, West Tennessee. He has done 
much preaching through West Tennessee. He has never 
been regarded a very good speaker, but has made himself 
thoroughly familiar with the Bible and is a good teacher 
of the Christian religion. Caleb went to Bethany Col- 
lege, and after graduating, located in Louisville, Ken- 
tucky, there married and has made it headquarters. He 



A Life of Labor ami Self- Denial. 93 

has preached at a number of points, but has divided 
his time bet^Yeen teaching and preaching. Elisha G., 
the youngest, took a course at Burritt and Franklin Col- 
leges, and has been one of the most successful preachers 
of the gospel, in Middle Tennessee and southern Ken- 
tucky, planting a number of churches, building up and 
strengthening others, and bringing many souls into the 
church of Christ. He has for twenty-one years been well 
known as editor of the Gospel Advocate. Jesse SewelFs 
influence showed itself also upon his immediate family. 
Of the eight children, one died young. My first visit to 
the family Avas at the death of the little boy. The others 
all in early life became members of the church. The four 
sons all became preachers. There is no truer index to the 
real home religion of the parents, than the course of the 
children. Children as a rule are good judges of charac- 
ter. They catch quickly what really lies nearest the par- 
ents' heart, and as a rule are easily led by it. If the pro- 
fession of religion is but a profession, while the heart is 
really set upon worldly affairs and worldly success, as a 
rule; the children will catch the spirit and be irreligious 
and will follow after worldly ends. If parents in heart 
and life are truly devoted Christians it will tell in the 
lives of the children. Sometimes there will be an excep- 
tion, but this is the rule. And it always speaks well for 
the home piety of a preacher to see his children following 
in his footsteps, honoring the father's calling, and devoting 
themselves to the service of the God of their parents. 
Preachers who are always coinplaiuing at the hardships of 
the work, fault-finding and murmuring at the self-denial 
they undergo, show a lack of appreciation of the exalted 
calling, make wrong impressions on their children as to 
the honor of the calling and deter them from the service 



94 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

and make them seek worldly callings. Brother Sewell 
loved the service, rejoiced in the self-denial, and consid- 
ered it the highest honor of his life to serve God and to 
bring his fellowman to the service of his Master. His de- 
votion showed itself in that all his children became Chris- 
tians, and his sons, as they grew up, all became ministers 
of the Gospel. Joseph was a useful preacher and died a 
few months after the death of his father, in Missouri. 
William, his second son, lives in the village of Viola, 
near his mother, and preaches through the country around. 
L. R. resides in Nashville, has preached much through Sum- 
ner, AYilson, Smith and DeKalb counties, as well as in West 
Tennessee, but has been preaching chiefly for the last year 
or two in North Alabama. Caleb, the youngest son, has 
for a number of years lived in Falls County, Texas, 
where he has done much preaching. A sister's sou, Otis 
Riall, is also a successful preacher in Texas. Brother 
Sewell's whole heart was set on serving the Lord and his 
home influence was even better, at least stronger, than 
that exerted abroad. He gave his life to preaching. 

After Brother Sewell had committed himself to the 
Bible as the only rule of faith and guide for the Christian, 
he gave himself to the advocacy and defense of the Chris- 
tian religion as herein presented. He labored upon his 
little farm, but preached wherever opportunity presented 
itself in the surrounding country. At Cross Plains in 
Overton County was his first protracted meeting, resulting 
in twenty confessions and baptisms. His next meeting 
was in White County, with about the same number. He 
spent the year 44 laboring chiefly in White County. 

The year 45 he continued in this county, baptizing 
about two hundred persons. He continued his labors in 
this county, also the next year, preaching at Sparta, 



A Life of Labor and Self -Denial. 95 

Bethel, Bethlehem, and Plain Creek. During these 
years he baptized quite a number, and the cause of truth 
was pretty, firmly established at these points and several 
others in the county. 

The year 47 he labored chiefly in Jackson, Smith and 
Putnam counties, preaching at Martin's Creek and Bagdad 
in Jackson county, Defeated Creek and Montrose in 
Smith, and Smyrna in Jackson, now Putnam. He contin- 
ued in this field for about four years. During this time 
he baptized six hundred persons at the different points and 
preached in many new neighborhoods. In 51 he labored 
with Bethel and Bethlehem congregations in Wilson 
County, Alexandria in DeKalb County, and at Martin's 
Creek, his home congregation, in Jackson County. This 
year he baptized over two hundred persons. 

The next year he continued with these, but labored also 
at Mount View in Wilson County. There were about 
three hundred additions to the churches during this year 
under his labors. 

While Brother Sewell preached at these specified points 
at regular and stated times and they contributed to his 
support, his labor was by no means confined to these 
points. But while preaching at these points he preached 
at every school-house, private house, and in warm weather 
under the shade trees wherever the people would hear. 
There was nothing of the professional preacher about him. 
Tlie professional preacher preaches only where and when he 
is paid so to do. Many preachers of ability are sustained 
by congregations to preach, who never think of preaching 
elsewhere than where they are employed and paid to 
preach. Such preacliers make merchandise of the Gospel. 
They sell their time and talents in preaching the Gospel 
for so much money, just as a lawyer or mechanic sells his 



96 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 



time and skill in doing the work lie is employed to do. 
This shows a lack of the vital spirit of Christ. A man 
who only preaches as and where he is paid, or makes his 
preaching depend on his getting pay, no matter what his 
talent or ability, is unfit to preach. He corrupts the re- 
ligion he presents at its vital point — its self-denying spirit. 
Most of the corruption in doctrine, and order, and organi- 
zation of the Church is brought on as the result of a 
corrupted spirit. Men are unwilling to preach unless they 
are paid for their work. To secure this the teachings of 
the word of God are sacrificed, and an order and ways un- 
known to the Scriptures of truth are introduced. These 
all foster and strengthen the spirit that introduced them, 
and the Gospel is made more and more a matter of mer- 
chandise. The spirit of self-denying devotion that makes 
the Christian cheerfully and gladly give of his substance 
to the Lord is quenched, and to meet the demands of the 
preacher, fairs, frolics, excursions, and appeals to the 
flesh to raise money for the Lord are introduced. So 
worldliness and corruption are brought in. . Excursions 
and entertainments thai appeal to the gratification of the 
flesh to raise money are just as unscriptural, just as much 
substitute the flesh for the spirit as do the grosser forms of 
frolic — fleshly enticements; and so far as spiritual influence 
and scriptural authority, and the eflect on the spirituality 
of the Church are concerned, we believe that a raffle or a 
bet on a horse-race would be no more hurtful than these. 
Any substitution of the flesh for the spirit is a perversion 
of the church and its work. These evils an<l many of the 
corruptions from the word of God grow out of the merce- 
naiy spirit in preaching the Gospel of Christ. It is the 
duty of the churches and of Christians to support those 
preaching the Gospel. The obligation is just as strong 



A Life of Labor and Self -Denial. 



on one member to sacrifice for Christ and humanity as for 
another. The preacher is under no higher or stronger ob- 
ligations to sacrifice for the preaching of the Gospel than 
other members, and God will hold every professed Chris- 
tian responsible for every sinner that goes down to ruin, 
without knowing the Gospel, who could have known it by 
the faithful use of means and opportunities that that Chris- 
tian had, yet refused to use. Christians are shamefully 
derelict in their duty in helping those who preach to the 
lost. Jesse Sewell was often hindered from preach- 
ing as he might, while hundreds of members who heard 
his preaching had abundance but refused to aid him in 
this work. Property^ talent, opportunities rightly used, 
coDsecrated to God and men, are means to raise us to 
heaven, but hoarded, misused, neglected, are weights 
around our neck to drag us down to hell. 

The use of money committed to our keeping is a fearful 
responsibility. The responsibility is fearful, because it 
carries a strong temptation to use it to increase our earthly 
store and gratify the fleshy pride. A temptation, which 
few ai-e able to resist. Hence it is hard for a rich man 
to enter the kingdom or heaven. It is plainly the duty of 
the preacher to do all he can in preaching the Gospel. It 
is equally plainly the duty of the Christian to use all the 
means he has in aiding to preach the Gospel. The failure 
of the one does not justify the refusal of the other to do 
what he can. We are not to measure ourselves by our- 
selves or by one another, but by Christ Jesus and his laws. 
And no preacher is justified in ceasing to preach what he 
can. He must be willing to suffer as much as Paul did, 
labor as Paul did for the privilege of preaching to the 
lost. Jesse Sewell never numbered his sermons by the 
pay he received, nor did his going to a place depend on 
7 



98 Life of Jesse L. Sewell, 

what he would receive. He rejoiced in the opportunity 
to preach, and when a few congregations contributed to 
his support in the section of country, he used it as a help 
not to preach to them alone, but to evangelize the whole 
country by preaching in all school-houses and private 
houses, and reaching out in any direction to teach the 
people. The Gospel was never made merchandise of with 
him. He gladly accepted Avhat was given him, as en- 
abling him to support his family without detaining him at 
home from this work of preaching. He loved preaching. 
He loved to preach the pure word of God. He loved it 
because he loved the Master, and he loved to do that 
which would please the Master. He loved it because the 
engrafted word is able to save the souls of those who re- 
ceive it with meekness, and his chiefest joy was in turn- 
ing sinners from the evil of their way. I^To calling of 
earth begins to approximate in its majesty and honor — in 
its elevating, ennobling influences upon him who follows 
it with an unselfish devotion, or in its purifying, refining 
and elevating influences, upon those who are reached by 
it, and in its elevating and uplifting influences upon 
the world, like the work of preaching the Gospel. A true 
man may Avell sun-ender earthly honor and greatness, 
wealth and pleasure, may well endure poverty and hard- 
ship for the sake of a work like this, and the crown of 
honor it brings. 

Money never entered into Brother Sewell's calculation 
as a preacher. I do not believe he would have com- 
plained or abated one jot of his zeal or earnestness as a 
preacher, if he had never received a dollar. It would 
have hindered the amount of work he was able to do. 
This he would have regretted. But he had such an appre- 
ciation of the high privilege of preaching the gospel, that 



A Life of Labor and Self -Denial. 



he would have rejoiced in the privilege of laboring with 
his own hands, six days in the week, to be able to preach 
the seventh. He so rejoiced that he was able to teach 
God's message of love to his dying fellowmen, he could 
not complain. A preacher complaining at his lot, has 
failed to catch the true spirit of his Master. He should 
rejoice when he is counted worthy to suffer for his name. 



,>£::^^^^:^3^. 



CHAPTER IX. 



HIS LABORS AND DEATH. 

fN 1853, he preached on Caney Fork, Dekalb, Montrose, 
Bagdad and Flynn's Creek, in Jackson County, 150 
additions. In the autumn of this year he made a trip to 
Union City and Montrose, Obion County, and Hickman in 
Kentucky with 125 additions. He continued in the same 
field in 1854 and 1855, sustained by the same churches, 
but doing every year more and more evangelistic labor 
in destitute places and holding protracted meetings at 
various other points. 

In 1856 he preached chiefly in Wilson County, devoting 
much time to protracted meetings at various points. In 
1857 he occupied much the same field, but devotiug more 
and more time to evangelical work, laboriug more and 
more in protracted meetings, and extending continually 
his field of labor. Of his \york in this country, we give 
the following account by Brother J. M. Kidwill : 

"The first preaching at Smith ville, by Brother Sewell, was 
in 1853 or 1854. There was a little band of twelve, or fifteen, 
members in and around Smithville. There was much preju- 
dice against our teaching. Brother Sewell preached in the 
court house. He usually had a good audience, and was recog- 
nized as a man of ability. I remember him, as a man, of per- 
haps a little more than thirty years of age, not eloquent, as the 
world measures eloquence, but an earnest, logical speaker, able 
to hold the undivided attention of an audience from one and a 
half to two hours. He was plainly dressed, usually in home- 
(100) 



His Lahws and Sis Death. 101 

made cloth. He appeared to my youthful, country eye, as be- 
ing neatly dressed. I was not much used to "store clothes" 
at that time. I remember but one addition during the first one 
or two years preaching. Soon after Brother J. L. Sewell began 
preaching here, his brother, Caleb AV., a graduate of Bethany 
College, came with Brother Jesse, and the two brothers contin- 
ued to preach here occasionally till the beginning of the war 
troubles, in 1860. Much good seed was sown ; people began to 
think better of us, and occasionally there would be one or two 
additions. Late in the fall of 1860, Brother C. W. Sewell held 
his last meeting in Smithville, and baptized twelve persons. 
The war soon broke out, and scattered the little flock. In 1867 
1 moved to Smithville, and found eight or ten members. In 
November, 1860, I joined the church under the preaching of 
Brother C. W. Sewell, at Alexandria. Brother Jesse Sewell 
insisted that I should preach, and encouraged me to make the 
effort. After moving to Smithville I began preaching in the 
court house. In two or three years, Brother J. L. Sewell came, 
and held us a meeting with good results. After this he held 
us several good meetings. His preaching did much to establish 
the cause in this town, and in the adjoining region. 

Brother Sewell's preaching at Smithville opened the door to 
him for the grand work that he afterwards did at Alexandria 
and in AVilson County. I remember that about the year 1854, 
or 1855, the congregation at Alexandria, having heard of the 
fame of Brother Sewell, sent Brother Lewis Pendleton, one of 
their number, to invite Brother Sewell to hold them a meeting 
at Alexandria. Brother Pendleton entered the court house 
while the brethren were singing. Brother Dr. Jesse Barnes 
and Brother Sewell were sitting together, behind the Judge's 
desk. Brother Sewell was plainly dressed, in homespun, prob- 
ably the handiwork of his good wife, while Brother Barnes 
had on a neat suit of black cloth. Brother Pendleton looked 
for a few minutes at the two brethren, and decided very 
promptly, that Brother Barnes was the preacher, and judging 
from his appearance, he decided that he was a big preacher. 
The song ended. Brother Sewell, in his quiet, unassuming man- 
ner, arose, opened his Bible, elevated his shoulders once or 



102 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

twice, by a gentle shrug, ran his forefinger gently around his 
well developed forehead, placing his hair behind his ear, and 
began reading. After reading, he knelt down in the court 
room, and with simple reverence, led in an earnest, humble 
prayer. Brother Pendleton had no thought that he had heard 
Brother Sewell lead in prayer ; he still had his eye on Brother 
Barnes, and now, as the " introductory services " were finished, 
decently, and in order, by one whom Brother Pendleton took 
to be some neighboring brother, of the flatwoods country, he 
felt gratified that the plain looking brother had gone through 
without a blunder, and had acquitted himself quite creditably. 
Judge of Brother Pendleton's surprise, when the same brother 
read a part of the second chapter of Daniel, and began his dis- 
course, on the setting up of the kingdom. That was nearly 
forty years ago, but the scene is as fi'esh, and as vivid in my 
memory, as though it was but yesterday. Brother Pendleton 
felt disappointed; he had traveled twenty miles to hear Broth- 
er Sewell ; he had measured up the one he took for Brother 
Sewell, and judging from appearances he felt sure that he was 
the equal of any man, as a preacher. He indulged in some re- 
flections, on the folly of putting up a plain, cross roads, country 
preacher, and have such a man as Brother Sewell sit back, and 
take no part in the public worship. But the preacher, as was 
his custom, entered at once into his subject. In a very few 
minutes Brother Pendleton saw that he could preach ; in less 
than half an hour, he decided that he had seldom heard his 
equal and long before the sermon was ended, he decided that 
Brother Sewell was preaching, and that he had never heard 
such a sermon before. After the sermon. Brother Pendleton 
was introduced to Brother Sewell, and got a promise from him 
to hold a meeting in Alexandria. Brother Sewell held the 
promised meeting, at Alexandria ; the brethren were delighted 
with his profound knowledge of the Scriptures, and with his 
clear and lucid presentation of the truth. From Alexandria 
Brother Sewell was invited, perhaps during his first meeting, to 
Bethel, and to Bethlehem, in Wilson County, and soon to other 
points in AVilson County. Thus began the work of our dear 
brother at Smithville, Alexandria, and in "Wilson County ; for 



His Labors and His Death. 103 

more than thirty years he continued to preach at these places, 
and in the adjacent communities. New congregations were 
planted, and under his preaching hundreds were led to a 
knowledge of the truth, and into the obedience of faith. 

Within two or three years after Brother Sew^ell began preach- 
ing at Alexandria he was called upon to defend his teaching in 
open discussion. He held two debates at Alexandria; first 
with a Methodist brother, Wainwright, and afterward wdth a 
Baptist brother. Hale. These were both men of talent, and 
the debates created a widespread interest. The brethren were 
delighted with Brother Sewell's work in both discussions. 

Eternity will reveal the wonderful influence for good, his 
preaching and his life have had, and will continue to have for 
good. Fraternally, 

J. M. KiDWILL. 

Smith ville, Tenn., January 20, 1891. 

In 1858 he moved to Warren County, near Viola. In 
1859 he preached at Philadelphia in Warren County, and 
Woodbury, New Hope and Sugar Knob in Cannon 
County, continuing in the same field in 1860. During 
these years he was better sustained in the field, and de- 
voted much time to preaching at school-houses, private 
houses and often in the woods. In 1860 he planted the 
church at Antioch in Kutherford County. He began 
preaching in the Presbyterian house. There were some 
additions, the further- use of the house w^as refused. They 
went to the grove, the weather was cold, the women took 
up their carpets and hung them around to break the wind 
and shield from the cold and the meeting continued. There 
were about fifty -five additions. This shows how people can 
overcome difiiiculties and remove obstacles when in earn- 
est. Worse than cold and bad weather are hearts cold and 
indifferent to the conversion of sinners and the advance- 
ment of the truth. When Christians are in earnest meet- 
ings can be held and sinners can be converted in the 



104 Life of Jesse L. Seivelt. 



woods, in barns, in cold weather or hot, and all obstacles 
vanish. More meetings fail from a lack of earnestness in 
Christians than fi-om ail other causes combined. Difficul- 
ties in the church, differences between brethi-en hinder the 
success of religious work, not so much because these things 
drive off sinners, but because Christians permit them to 
cool their ardor, destroy their zeal, and make them indif- 
ferent to the work of God and the salvation of sinners. 
David said: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and 
renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from 
thy presence ; aud take not thy holy spirit away from me 
* * uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach 
transgressoi*s thy ways ; and sinners shall be converted to 
thee." Ps. Iviii. When Christians keep right sinners can 
be converted. 

In 1872 he held a meeting at Xew Albany, Indiana, 
of some weeks, with twenty-five additions to the church, 
building up and strengthening the cause greatly in that 
city. He preached at Burkesville and Albany, with other 
places in Kentucky. 

In 1874 he preached a funeral discourse of Sister 
Bonner at Philadelphia, his hoine church, in Warren 
County, of remarkable force and aj^propriateness. After 
the discourse he went to his buggy to start to Woodbury, 
where he had an appointment, but a total loss of memory 
and consciousness of his surroundings came upon him, and 
he could not remember he had preached the funeral dis- 
course or where he was going. He was taken home. Af- 
ter several hours he began to recover, but it was several 
months before a complete recovery — if it was ever com- 
plete. There were occasional recurrences of this attack in 
a milder form. But while he seemed at home in the 



His Labors and His Death. 105 

Scriptures and religious matters, his mind never was so 
active or so cognizant of the afiairs around him as it had 
been before. He was never very social, nor did he seem 
much interested in the common afiairs of life. This grew 
on him with increasing years, and his faculties were clearly 
failing in activity though he did much good preaching. 

In 1886 he spent the greater part of the year in Texas, 
on a visit to his son, Caleb. He spent the time preaching — 
with acceptance and profit — with quite a number of addi- 
tions to the churches. Brother Sewell preached over two 
years with the Baptists and forty -seven years in the 
church of Christ. The number added, as will be seen by 
the reports here given, ranged from one hundred and fifty 
to three hundred per year. He probably baptized six or 
eight thousand persons. In July, 1889, he celebrated his 
golden wedding. His memory had greatly failed, but he 
made a list of twenty -six persons baptized by him that 
had become preachers. The list was, I. C. Sewell, C. W.^ 
Sewell, E. G. Sewell, his brothers, H. N. Lovelady, of 
Jackson county. Brothers Huddleston, and Mears, of 
Overton county, Garland, and W. Y. Kuykendall, and 
James* Kuykendall, of Putnam county, John W. Hax-ris, 
and Braker, and Robertson, and Owen, of Cannon county, 
G. Lipscomb, E. C. Gillespie, and George Farris, of 
Franklin county, J. M. Smithson, and JohnMarcrum, and 
C. W. Sewell, Jr., of Warren county, J. S. Bryant, of 
Rutherford county, Jos. S. Sewell, of White county, J. 
P. Grigg, and J. T. Rogers, T. E. Tatum, of Wilson 
county, J. P. Whitefield, and Logan Goolsby, of Putnam 
county. He afterwards called up quite a number of oth- 
ers, but he never wrote them down. This does not embrace 
two of his own sons who were baptized by some one else. 
Brothers Floyd and Kidwill both say, he encouraged them 



106 Life of Jesse L. SewelL 

to preach. He counted up fifteen churchs directly planted 
by him. But there were many others at which he aroused 
the interest and began the work. Still others that he found 
weak and built up to strength. 

He was chiefly instrumental in planting the church in 
Sparta, Manchester, Winchester, Tullahoma, Fayetteville, 
Tracy, Cowan, Decherd and Granville. He greatly aided 
a number of country churches in various counties of Mid- 
dle Tennessee. He did much in building up the churches in 
McMinnville, Woodbury, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, Salem 
and Gallatin. He also held meetings very successfully in 
Franklin, Columbia, East and South Nashville. He made 
two visits to Knoxville, Tennessee, and planted or built up 
a congregation a few miles out from the city. 

In Woodbury he held quite a successful meeting. A 
number of Methodists united with the church. The Meth- 
odist preacher was absent at the beginning, he came home 
while it was continuing. He sent one of his most intelli- 
gent sisters to take notes for him, intending to review the 
discourses. The sister took notes for a time, but before 
the meeting was over she obeyed the Gospel. Nevertheless 
she delivered the notes, with the hope they would help 
him as much as they had her. 

Notwithstanding his meek spirit and inofiensive manner, 
the bitter feelings toward the cause he maintained called 
forth bitter opposition, as the following incidents shows. 

At Buchanan's school house, on Calf Killer River, he 
read the language of Ananias to Saul, *' Now why tarriest 
thou ? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, 
calling on the name of the Lord." After he left, the 
Methodist and Baptist preachers, consulted, read the ac- 
count of Saul's conversion, Acts ix, and did not find the 



Sis Labors and Sis Death. 107 

language. They thought they had him now. They let it 
be known they intended to meet him and expose him, for 
reading as scripture what was not in the scriptures. When 
he came, they, with all the country around, were present. 
The Baptist preacher arose, announced that he had a very 
unpleasant task to perform, but he felt it his duty to the 
community and the truth to expose a man who would 
read scripture and add to it language that was not there. 
He then read the account of the conversion given. Acts 
ix, and challenged him to show the language, he had read 
as there. Brother Sewell, in his meek and self-possessed 
manner asked the brother to let him see his Bible. He 
handed it to him. He turned to the account given, Acts 
xxii, returned the Bible to the preacher and asked him to 
read that. He looked at it, without a confession of mis- 
take or an apology, withdrew and left the ground. Brother 
Sewell preached one of his most effective discourses. 

On another occasion he quoted Peter's language, '* Re- 
pent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Je- 
sus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive 
the gift of the Holy Spirit." A woman in a high key, 
screamed, " Let me out, let me out, making a mockery of 
religion." Brother Sewell, without the least discompos- 
ure, asked gently, ' ' In what way am I making a mockery 
of religion?" She replied, '' Baptism for the remission 
of sins." Brother Sewell answered, ** The apostle Peter 
said that." She responded, " He was the most failable of 
them all. Let me out, let me out." Brother Sewell, in 
his gentle and quiet manner, asked the audience to please 
make way and let the sister out. Then proceeded with 
his discourse as though nothing had happened. 

iBrother Sewell related this occurrence : A wealthy 
man, indifferent to religion, if not sceptical, near Sparta, 



108 Life of Jesse L. SewelL 

Tennessee, had an only daughter. She heard Brother 
Sewell preach, believed the Gospel and determined to 
obey. She made the confession, told her father of her 
purpose. He forbade her going forward in the obedience, 
she insisted, in this matter, she could not obey him, but 
must obey the Lord. He told her she should not go to 
the water, she should have no conveyance, that if she 
went she must walk and never return to his house again. 
He would disinherit her. In the face of all this opposi- 
tion, she gathered her clothes in a bundle and started on 
foot to the place for baptism, two or three miles distant. 
The father looked after her for a while, studied the matter 
over, called to his servant to hitch up the carriage, and 
follow her, take her to the place for baptism, and then 
bring her back home. In a few months the father and 
mother were themselves in the church with their daughter. 
He had formed an idea of these people from the reports 
others made, and considered it would be a disgrace for his 
daughter to unite with them. Had the daughter yielded 
to the authority of the parents, when Jesus had said, " He 
that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy 
of me," she would have lost her interest in the truth, her 
parents would never have seen the truth, and all would 
have gone the way that leads to ruin. God demands fidel- 
ity to him, readiness to sacrifice every earthly tie, the ten- 
derest and strongest relationships of life. When we thus 
forsake all to follow Christ, he frequently gives to us all 
these relations that we sacrifice for him, in a perfect and 
complete union in Christ Jesus forever. So he that is 
willing to lose father, mother, brother, sister, husband or 
wife for Christ's sake saves these relations forever, and 
whosoever saves them hei^e or gives up Christ for them 
shall lose them forever. Just as he who ^ill lose his life 



His Labor and His Death. 109 

for Christ's sake shall find it, but whosoever will save his 
life, shall lose it. What we sacrifice for Christ we gain. 
What we sacrifice Christ to gain, we lose forever. 

Another case that fell within my own knowledge. An 
old man had ceased to attend church, had grown cynical 
on the subject of religion. He had hindered his children 
from attending church. A daughter, about eighteen, at- 
tended the preaching of Elder J. K. Speer, Sr. She be- 
came interested — her father forbade her attendance. She 
persisted, one morning ran away from home in her working 
clothes, with uncombed hair, when the invitation was 
given, she came forward and made the confession. When 
asked if she would be ready for baptism that afternoon, 
as others were to be baptized, she replied, " I will if I 
can, there are difficulties in the way." With the persua- 
sion of friends the father yielded to her desire and finally 
went to see her baptized. Large audiences attended at 
the water, that did not the preaching in the house, so the 
opportunty was improved to preach the Gospel, the father 
heard, his heart was touched, he demanded and received bap- 
tism before leaving the water. Duty, true love to our dear- 
est friends, who oppose us, demands that we should calmly, 
and kindly, but firmly obey God in spite of all opposition ; 
that obedience is often the means of not only securing 
our own salvation, but of saving those very friends that 
oppose, with ourselves, in heaven forever. 

The following case occurred with one of the most inti- 
mate associates of my boyhood. A neighbor boy was the 
son of very zealous Cumberland Presbyterians. The boy 
spent much of his spare time at my father's. My father 
read the Bible to his own children, talked with them 
about its teaching, and to others that were about. 



110 Life of Jesse L. SeweU. 

The boy became convinced of the truth, often talked to 
me about it, and his purpose to obey that truth. He vis- 
ited a relative, who Avas a member of the church of 
Christ. This relative gave him the unscriptural advice, 
that his father was old, could not live long, it would be 
best not to distress him by so displeasing a course, but to 
wait until after his death, then obey the truth. He under- 
took to follow this advice. Alas, he was taken with ty- 
phoid fever, he lingered, and saw he must die. He told 
his father, he desired to be baptized. His father replied, 
*' You have been baptized, my son, I had you baptized 
in infancy." He said, ' ' I know you call that baptism, 
but I do not believe it baptism. I wish to be baptized for 
myself — with a scriptural baptism." The father turned 
and said to those in the room, " he wanders in his mind." 
They knew he did not, but said nothing then. The 
young man died, troubled and distressed. The father could'" 
not have pleasant recollections of his son's death. Had 
the young man done his duty, the father, I think, hardly 
would have learned and accepted the truth. Yet we can 
not tell. The father, while the boy lived, was disturbed 
and troubled lest the boy should go into heresy. We rec- 
oncile ourselves to that which we can not help. Had 
the son done his duty, the father would have reconciled 
himself to this course. The boy would have died satisfied, 
instead of being filled with remorse for the past and dread 
for the future. The father would have had more pleasant 
memories of the death of his son than they could have 
been as it was. The lesson is, obey God first, forsake all 
to obey him, and all things will work together for good to 
them that love the Lord. Duty to ourselves, duty to our 
fellowmen, demands we should obey God, let the opposi- 
tion be what and whence it may — and this course brings 



His Labors and His Death. Ill 

the greatest happiness and good to every human being for 
time and for eternity. God's way is the only just and 
right way. To obey God wiU bring no real evil to any 
human being, but the highest good to ourselves and to ev- 
ery human being, and glory to God. It is distrust of God to 
think obedience to him works unkindness or evil to any being 
in the universe. It looks so to our short-sighted wisdom at 
times, but a trusting faith in God leads us to believe that 
God's way is the only way of true kindness and pure love 
to any and every being in the universe. When we follow 
God's way, when another way seems best to our wisdom, 
we walk by faith, not by sight. To follow God only when 
we see how it brings good or when it accords with our 
judgment, manifests a very weak faith. To follow our 
own wisdom rather than God's way, as kindness to parent, 
child, brother, sister, husband, or wife, is to refuse to 
walk by faith, is to displace God's wisdom with our own, is 
cruel to ourselves, to our friends, and to the world, and is 
to dishonor and reject God. Let us learn that ''love is the 
fulfilling of the law." To fulfill the Divine requirements 
is to fulfill the highest and all the obligations of true love 
toward any and all beings. 

Brother Sewell was mild in manner, inoffensive and 
deferential in bearing, just to all, yet firm in his own con- 
victions and earnest and uncompromising in maintaining 
the truth of the Bible as he understood it. He stated 
the most aggressive truths in the meekest and most inof- 
fensive manner. Yet the strange and unreasoning preju- 
dice against the position often secured for him bitterness 
and opposition. Notwithstanding his meek and modest 
deportment, he had remarkable self-possesion and self- 
control and could not be easily thrown off his guard or ex- 
cited to speak unadvisedly. In the country in which he 



112 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

labored, men spoke freely what they thought, and Brother 
Sewell frequently invited questions and objections to his 
teachings. He never sought or gave a challenge yet 
had nine discussions. The first one was with a Mor- 
mon, Mr. Vance; the second with Mr. Wainwright, a 
Methodist ; two with Mr. Lee, one with Mr. Hale, one with 
S. L. Summer, one with Mr. Tipton, all Baptist ; one with 
]\lr. Strange, Methodist ; one with Mr. Nichols, Methodist. 
He never lost his self-possession or equanimity of temper, 
or mildness and serenity of manner, although sometimes 
severely tried in dicussion. He was ready in the use and 
application of scripture, quick to perceive the weak points 
or inconsistencies in the arguments or position of his op- 
ponents, so universally gave satisfaction to his brethren in 
the discussion. He had implicit faith in the word of God 
to sustain the truth against all persons and kinds of oppo- 
sition. And he had full confidence in himself to present 
that Word. When Dr. Brents and Mr. Ditzler first met 
in debate at Flat Creek, Tennessee, Dr. Brents was sick the 
morning for the debate to begin. The question with him 
and his friends, was, whether it would do for him to enter 
the debate in his condition of health ; and if not what 
should be done ? It was known Mr. Ditzler had a whole 
library of lexicons and authorities in difierent lan- 
guages and claimed to be at home in a dozen of the ancient 
languages. Brother Sewell, from habit and observation, 
used the English language with readiness and a fair de- 
gree of correctness in speaking. But he knew nothing of 
any other language, and could write his mother tongue 
very imperfectly, but was perfectly willing to meet Mr. 
Ditzler with his English Bible to discuss the issues. It 
was concluded safe for Dr. Brents to go into the debate, 
but there were those of us present who were perfectly 



-His Labors ami His Death. 113 

willing to see the unassuming man of one book, meet Mr. 
Ditzler with his much display of learning and many vol- 
umes in different languages. It would have been some- 
thing like David and the Giant, but we were confident the 
result would also have been something like it was then. 
We mention it to show the confidence of Brother Sewell 
in the word of God, and his own unfaltering courage, in 
the use of that Word. 

He carried his devotion to the word of God and its 
teachings into his whole life. He took no part or interest 
in the political questions and parties of the country. P^ 
had not studied out the question and decided it was wrong 
so to do, but he devoted his whole soul with such single- 
ness cf purpose to the Christian religion, that he found 
no taste or time for any of these questions. No man ever 
thought of Jesse Sewell as a whig or democrat, a union 
man or secessionist. He was simply and only a Christian. 
He preached as he could, during the years of conflict, P'^ 
men, not as union men or secessionists, but^as sinners 
needing a Savior. He preached to men in both armies as 
in no army. His sympathies were doubtless with his 
neighbors and friends, and he suffered in common with 
them from the general devastation and impoverishment 
of the country, but no one molested him personally or any 
thing belonging to him. Brother Floyd gives these rec- 
ollections of him in response to a query regarding his work 

in his country : 

Flat Creek, Tenn., Jean. 9, 1891. 
Bro. Sewell did his first preaching in this community, in the 
Separate Baptist church, the latter part of August, 1868, while 
we were building our house of worship. Began his regular 
labors with us the first of 1869 and continued every alternate 
month for about eight years. It was under the preaching ol 
Bro. Sewell that our congregation was built up. His labors 
8 



114 lAJe of Jesse L. Sewell. 

here impressed all with his wonderful knowledge of the Bible, 
his power as a preacher and his humility and childlike sim- 
plicity as a man. I am sure that in all the elements that con- 
stitute a preacher of the Gospel, I have never seen his equal. 
One event that impressed me more than any thing else, as to 
his general knowledge of the Bible, I shall here relate. One 
of the leading citizens had gone to West Virginia and joined 
the Seventh Day Baptists. He began at once to inculcate his 
doctrine by distributing the literature of his church. Quite a 
number were being carried off by this teaching. In the mean- 
time Elder Wardner, a man of age and experience and great 
power as a preacher, came and delivered quite a number of 
discourses, several on the Sabbath. He assumed the perpe- 
tuity of the fourth commandment, showed the seventh day 
was the Sabbath and that the Sabbath law was never changed 
to the first day of the week. The people, in general, con- 
ceded the truth of his premise and were forced to accept his 
conclusions. The excitement was intense. It seemed the 
whole community was going to embrace the Sabbath idea. My 
self and Brother J. W. Reagor, together, had studied the ques- 
tion before, and saw something had to be done. So we wrote 
to Brother Sewell the state of affairs and requested him to 
preach on the subject at his next appointment, and had it an- 
nounced without hearing from him. We sent him a copy of 
Elder Wardner's sermon on the Sabbath that he might see 
what he was expected to meet. It so happened that Elder 
Sewell was away from home when my letter and the pamphlet 
were received and did not return until a few days before he 
had to start for his appointment. I met him the night he 
reached the community and told him just what was expected of 
him. He replied that he had never come in contact with a 
Sabbatarian, had had no occasion to study the question with a 
view of preaching on it, and that he had only time before 
leaving home to glance hastily through the pamphlet I had 
sent him, but that he had been studying the Bible a long time, 
and he thought he knew what it taught on that subject as well 
as other things and would be able to show it to the people. 
When Brother Reagor learned that Brother Sewell had not 



Sis Labors and His Death. 115 

had time to prepare especially for the occasion, he suggested 
it would be prudent to put off the subject to another time. I 
told him I was willing to risk Brother Sewell on any subject he 
proposed to discuss. Lord's day came with a large crowd of 
eager listeners, and such a powerful array of scriptural testimo- 
nies as Brother Sewell presented on the subject I have never 
heard, showing the origin of the Sabbath law, to w^hom given, 
for what purpose, how observed, how long to continue, etc., 
meeting the arguments of the Sabbatarians so completely that 
the question has hardly been mentioned from that day to this. 

Brother Sewell spent a great deal of his time with me. At 
first he talked but little, but afterwards grew more communi- 
cative. He related many incidents connected with his life. 
His preaching while a Baptist, his trial or exclusion for not 
preaching Baptist doctrine, his staying? at home and studying 
that he might fully satisfy himself as to what the Bible taught, 
how he and a few others w^ere constituted into a church of Christ, 
persecutions they had to endure for a time, etc. Brother Sewell 
desired to preach, but he said he soon found, if he was able to 
preach any thing worthy of attention he must study. This he 
began to do, and whatever he learned from the Bible he would 
preach. Going to an appointment he met up with Brother 
Mulky. Their roads led about ten miles the same way. Learn- 
ing his companion was a Baptist preacher, Brother Mulky 
preached him a discourse on the proper division of the word. 
This, to Brother Sewell, was a revelation. At once he began 
to study the Bible, with this idea before him, and it became a 
new book. Things that before were dark, were now full of 
light, difficulties disappeared and the awakened young preacher 
was able to learn more in a day of the one book than before 
in a v>eek. As he learned he preached, and soon the cry of 
heresy was raised and then began the trial that led to his exclu- 
sion from the Baptist church. After he, and a few others, had 
come together as a church of Christ they were very bitterly 
persecuted. All sorts of slanderous reports were circulated. 

Brother Sewell preached for many years without remunera- 
tion, but I never heard him complain. Before the war he was 
invited to Columbus, Mississippi, to hold a meeting. The 



116 Life of Jesse L. SeweU. 

church there was wealthy. So well pleased were they with 
Brother Sewell's preaching that they, in connection with a 
country church that was wealthy, invited him to come 
and labor for them. They proposed to furnish him a large 
fine residence, with thirty acres of ground free of rent. He 
would be accessible to a high school w^here tuition would be 
.free, and then give him a salary of $600.00, as I remember. 
At that time his remuneration was very little, but still he de- 
clined the flattering offer. He said he knew if he went among 
those wealthy people his family would have, in a certain degree, 
to conform to the prevailing style. That habits would be 
formed that they would not be able to maintain afterwards, 
even if it were desirable to do so. And he further felt assured 
he would lose his position any way if he was faithful as he 
should be in reproving them for their extravagance, follies, 
etc. Who will say he did not act wisely ? It is a great mis- 
fortune for any family to acquire habits, or manner of living, 
etc., that it is not able to keep up. 

It has just occurred to me that the course he pursued at the 
beginning and during the w^ar ought to be a matter of record 
in the forthcoming book. You, no doubt, are familiar with 
that, and it is needless for me to repeat it here, but some 
things he told I will here relate. He believed it was unchris- 
tian and never allowed himself carried off by the war excite- 
ment. He preached his convictions on the subject at all his 
preaching places. On one occasion, before he left the pulpit, 
a prominent man came and told him he had committed trea- 
son and begged him to get up right there, take all he had said 
back, and warned him if he did not, he would be arrested for 
treason. In his quiet way he thanked him for his interest in 
his behalf, but told him he had preached what he believed and 
could not, for fear of arrest, renounce it. As for being guilty 
of treason, he knew better than that, that to be guilty of 
treason, he must be guilty of some act of resistance to the 
government, which he had not. 

A committee, perhaps in Cannon county, waited on him to 
get him to make speeches through the county to enlist volun- 
teers. They made the flattering statement that be had more 



His Leihors and His Death. 117 

influence than any one else, and if he would make the canvass 
the people would be a unit for the war. His reply was in these 
words: "Gentlemen, when I get to believe that Jesus Christ 
is an impostor, the New Testament a fable, and the Christian 
Religion a fraud, then perhaps I might entertain your proposi- 
tion ; but as long as I believe Jesus Christ is divine, the New 
Testament, the word of God, and the Christian Religion of di- 
vine origin, I can not, for a moment, entertain it." Brave 
words, indeed, at that time. On one occasion a Christian 
preacher, who was serving as chaplain in the Federal Army, 
being camped near, went to see him. When he went into the 
house he laid his sword and pistol on the table. Sometime 
during the day Brother Sewell took them in his hands, quot- 
ing as he did so, Paul's language (slightly changed though), 
" The weapons of our warfare are carnal and mighty through 
General Grant to the pulling down of the strongholds of Jeff 
Davis and to the casting down of every high thing that exalt- 
eth itself against Abraham Lincoln," and then good humoredly 
asked if the quotation was correct. Passing through TuUahoma 
where Bragg^s Army was camped, he was asked by some old 
acquaintances to preach to them, which he did. On telling me 
about it, I said to him, '' Brother Sewell, I can not see how you 
could get along preaching to soldiers. What did you preach ? " 
"Oh," he said, "I preached them the gospel." How charac- 
teristic of the man ! While other preachers, who had made 
war speeches were compelled to leave home for protection, 
he traveled and preached unmolested. It mattered not which 
army occupied the country, he was not disturbed in his labors. 
While others were stripped of all their movable possessions he 
lost nothing. On one occasion some cavalry passed his house 
when he was not at home. Seeing Brother Sewell's buggy 
ho»se in the lot, a soldier went, and putting a bridle on him 
started off with him. The daughter of Brother Sewell went 
out and simply told the truth about her father's course. On 
hearing this the soldier led the horse back into the lot and 
went ofi without him. This was the nearest he ever came of 
losing any property by the war. When Bragg was retreating 
from Tullahoma Brother Sewell was returning from his ap* 



118 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

pointment at Salem, East of Estill Springs. He encountered 
the army, and notwithstanding he was going towards the en- 
emy, he was not inten-upted. The roads, though, were so 
blockaded that he had to make his way as best he could 
through the woods. I saw him myself (but did not know who 
he was then) picking his way through the timber. Little did 
I then think that unpretending citizen would ever exert such 
an influence as he did over my course in life. He it was that 
led me to be a preacher. J. D. Floyd. 

He carried the simpjicity of the Christian religion into 
his practical life. He did not desire or seek w^ealth or 
position. He did not believe it would be for his good or 
the good of his family. Their spiritual and eternal well- 
being stood above every thing else with him. 

As a preacher he was a man of one book, he preached 
the word of God in a meek, earnest, faithful manner and kind 
spirit. He spoke wdth ease to himself, and his style was 
pleasant to his hearers. His power was in an earnest and 
sincere presentation of the truth, remarkable for its sim- 
plicity, conciseness and clearness. He was familiar with 
the Bible as but few men are. His discourses did not 
cover a wide range of thought, but were finished and com- 
plete, eminently pointed and instructive. They showed 
he had viewed his subject from every standpoint and that 
the bearing of every passage of scripture on a position, 
taken, had been carefully considered. I have heard Alex- 
ander Campbell, with his clear thoughts, reverential man- 
ner, noble bearing, and profuseness of imagery, Tolbert 
Fanning with his Websterian clearness and force of state- 
ment, and majestic mien, and forceful manner, Moses E. 
Lard with his close and clear analysis and elucidation of 
his subject and his power to touch the sympathy and to 
Btir the feelings with his tender pathos, I have heard Dr. 



His Labors and His Death. 119 

Brents with his well laid premises and strong and convinc- 
ing logic, but for a well-rounded, finished, completed ser- 
mon, stating the full truth on his subject in manner so 
simple that the humblest could understand it, and guard- 
ing at every point, against possible misconception or ob- 
jection, my conviction has been for years, that Jesse SeweU 
in his prime, was the superior of any man I ever heard. 
He lacked the aggressive force and self-asserting power 
that belonged to these other men. He was lacking in 
both the mental and physical activity and vigor that make 
a great leader, but for clearness of perception, the ability 
to look on all sides of a question, and to view it in all its 
lights and to form just and sound conclusions, then to 
state them with clearness and critical precision, he had 
few superiors. He was one of the safest and soundest 
scripture teachers to be found. 

My conviction is, the hold the Christian religion has 
upon the people of Middle Tennessee, is due under God to 
Jesse Sewell, more than any other one man. His singleness 
of purpose and devotion to the work explains the reason. 
Brother Sewell's whole life was one of quiet, earnest sim- 
plicity, industry and genuine honesty. He had no taste 
for show or display of any kind. His dress in the early 
days of his preaching was made from the material at home, 
by his wife, it was always plain and simple, tending to 
carelessness. While never a stirring or active man he 
maintained his habits of industry to the end. When at 
home he worked regularly upon his farm, cultivated his 
farm, or his garden, or did whatever was needed to 
be done about the place. The day before his death, he 
spent a portion of the day working his potatoes and pre- 
paring to plant a roasting ear patch. His wife found him 
much affected by the heat and urged him to leave it and 



120 Life of Jesse L. Sewell. 

come in and rest. He never completed the cleaning of 
the potatoes nor planting the corn. 

He began his married life in a log house with one room, 
and a *' lean to," as a cook room. After over fifty years of 
labor and toil, he closed that life in a cheaply built, frame 
house with two rooms and a ''lean to," for a cook room. 
Yet he was comfortable and perfectly content with his out- 
ward surroundings. For months he had anticipated his 
end was near. A few months before his death, he told his 
wife, he was satisfied he would not remain with her long. 
Told her, while they had accumulated but little, there 
was enough to keep her in comfort as long as she might 
live, and he wished hei to so use it. Advised her to re- 
main at her own home. Her son, "William, lives next 
door, and some of tiie grand-children are much with her. 
The day of his death, he attended church at Philadelphia 
Meeting House in the morning. A young brother preached 
a little lengthy, he kindly and meekly warned him against 
this habit, presided at the Lord's Table, making an unu- 
sually earnest and impressive exhortation to his brethren* 
took dinner with his daughter, attended the burial of a 
little child at three o'clock, where he made another short, 
but earnest and affecting discourse. He went home some 
three miles, unharnessed and fed his horse, did a few nec- 
essary chores, fixed the stovewood for his wife to get 
breakfast in the morning, and went and seated himself on 
the porch to rest. His wife, soon passing by, noticed his 
head dropped to one side. Went to him and found his 
body still warm, but he was dead. He never breathed 
again. He had died without a struggle. He was sitting 
in a common split bottom chair just on the edge of the 
porch. His legs were crossed, and his arms folded across 
his lap, his head leaning to one side on one shoulder. 



Sis Labors and His Death. 121 

Who doubts that he was carried by the angek to Abra- 
ham's bosom? 

His life, uneventful and unambitious, yet full of the 
true and genuine virtues, was wholly given for the good 
of his fellowman, and to the service of his Maker and Re. 
deemer. He rests from his labors, but the fruits remain 
to bless man and honor God. 




SERMON NO. I. 




THE BIBLE. 

'HERE in the Bible is Christianity as an institution 
taught; or in other words, wJiere in the Bible 
may we learn how sinful men and women who 
live on earth at this time may be saved ? In what part 
may we learn what conditions are required to be complied 
with that we may be saved ? This is an important ques- 
tion, and one that should be closely examined, as religious 
teachers do not agree on it. It has not been long since 
I heard a prominent man of his denomination say that the 
plan of salvation which he taught could be found in every 
book of the Bible, and in almost every chapter. 

Now, if this be true, all ought to know it, and if not 
true all ought to know it. It seems that the people gen- 
erally understand it that way ; for when they take up the 
Bible to read, they let it fall open as it may chance to, 
and read a few chapters, thinking that they can find how 
they are to be saved by reading in that way, without any 
thought of the necessity of rightly dividing it, in order to 
understand it. They do not read other books in that way ; 
for instance when they take up a book of universal history 
and desire to find the history of a particular nation, they 
do not expect to find the history of that nation scattered 
promiscuously over all the pages of that book, but they 
expect there is a certain chapter or division of that book 
that contains the history of that nation, and that they must 
find that chapter in order to get the history of that nation. 

It is just so with the Bible. It gives the history of 
many important events, but there is a certain part of it 
that gives the history of each of these events. They are 
not scattered promiscuously over all its pages. It is gen- 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 123 

erally understood that the plan of salvation may be found 
somewhere in the Bible, but where ? is the question. Is 
it in the Book of Genesis? The Book of Genesis contains 
first the account of the creation, then the fall of man, and 
the murder of Abel. Then it gives the genealogy of Cain 
for several generations, then the genealogy of Seth to 
Noah, the account of the flood, the posterity of Noah, 
the genealogy of Shem to Abraham, .the history of 
his posterity to the death of Joseph in Egypt, and many 
other events not necessary to mention here. But is Chris- 
tianity taught in this book? The 15th verse of the 3rd 
chapter is thought to have reference to Christ where the 
Lord God speaking to the serpent, said, " I will put en- 
mity between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy 
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." 

Even if this is a proniise of Christ, it does not tell us 
how he would conquer Satan or save the human family 
from under his power. This Book also contains the prom- 
ise to Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the 
earth should be blessed. Gen. xxii: 18. This promise was 
renewed to Isaac and Jacob ; Gen. xxvi : 4, 28, 14, and 
was unmistakably a promise of Christ; but we cannot 
learn from this short promise how all nations would be 
blessed through him, or what the people would be re- 
quired to do in order to be blessed, or in what the blessing 
would consist. So we cannot learn from this how we are 
to be saved. There is a passage in Gen. xlix : 10, that is 
thought by many to refer to Christ and I think it does. 
It reads : ' ' The sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a 
lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and 
unto him shall the gathering of the people be." 

But this does not explain how the people would be saved 
under Christianity, and these are all the promises concern- 
ing Christ in the Book of Genesis. Christianity is not 
taught in the Book of Genesis, it is only referred to in a 
few brief promises. Is the plan of salvation taught in the 
Book of Exodus ? No, it takes up the history of the chil- 
dren of Israel where the Book of Genesis left off — gives 
the great increase of the people in Egypt, their becoming 
enslaved and the birth of Moses. God's message to him, 



124 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

the plagues that were sent on the Egyptians, the deliver 
ance of Israel, their crossing the Ked Sea, their journey to 
Mount Sinai, the building of the tabernacle and all the 
vessels of the ministry ; it contains many laws and ordi- 
dinances, but there is not one direct prophecy or promise 
concerning Christ or Christianity in the entire Book. - 

Leviticus comes next containing the laws of the priest- 
hood and the offerings under the law, the feasts and Sab- 
baths, treats of vows, and meats clean and unclean, and 
many other things, but has no promises of Christ. 

The Book of Numbers is next. It gives the account of 
the numbering of the children of Israel, the order of their 
camps, their journey from Sinai to Jordan, and all inci- 
dents connected with that journey, and there is but one 
verse in the Book of ^Numbers that is claimed to have any 
direct reference to Christ or to Christianity, and that is 
the language of Baalam in the 24th chapter, and reads : 
*' I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but 
not nigh ; there «hall come a star out of Jacob and a scep- 
tre shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of 
Moab and shall destroy all the children of Sheth." 

If this has reference to Christ there is nothing explana- 
tory in it. We can understand nothing from it as to how 
the sceptre would be wielded or how sinners would be 
saved under that sceptre. 

The Book of Deuteronomy is next, which is a repetition 
or second giving of the law and contains one unmistakable 
prophecy concerning Christ. There God said: ''I will 
raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like 
unto thee, and I will put my word in his mouth and he 
shall speak unto them all that I will command him, and it 
shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my 
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it 
of him." 

While this shows clearly that all must hear that prophet, 
it does not tell what he would speak, so that all would have 
to await his coming to learn what he would speak. I 
have now examined the five Books of Moses and have not 
found Christianity as a system of salvation taught in them. 
All the references to Christ in them could do no more than 



Sermons by Jesse L. Scwcll. 125 

to awake in the miuds of the Jews an expectation of a 
Savior to come, but could not teach them how he would 
save them when he came. 

The Book of Joshua takes up the history of Israel where 
the Book of Deuteronomy left off, and gives account of 
their crossing the river Jordan, their driving out the in- 
habitants of Canaan, and the division of the land among 
the twelve tribes. But it has nothing in it concerning 
Christ or Christianity. 

The Book of Judges gives the history of Israel under the 
Judges,' but it has nothing in it that points directly to 
Christianity. 

The Book of Ruth has nothing concerning Christ only a 
few links of his genealogy. 

Then come the Books of Samuel, the Books of the 
Kings, and the Books of Chronicles. These Books take 
up the history of Israel where the Book of Judges leaves 
off and give the origin of the kingdom of Israel, and trace 
that history until the kingdom is divided and then gives 
the history of both kingdoms until the kingdom of Israel 
was carried captive into Assyria and the kingdom of 
Judah into Babylon. These Books contain nothing that 
has direct reference to Christ, unless the promise of ( lod 
to David, that there should not fail him a son to sit on his 
throne forever embraced Christ and his kingdom, which I 
think it does ; but does not explain the nature of his 
reign. 

Next we have the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which 
contain the history of the return of a portion of the Jews 
to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple and of the 
city. But they say nothing about Christianity. Next is 
the Book of Esther, which gives the account of some im- 
portant events that transpired with the Jews w^hile scat- 
tered among the Medcs and Persians; but it does not 
contain the name of the Supreme Being nor anything that 
relates to Christ. 

The Book of Job is a very interesting Book, but con- 
tains no prophecy concerning Christ, unless a verse in the 
19th chapter, where Job says : '* I know that my Redeemer 
lives/' has reference to Christ. The Book of Psalms is the 



126 Sermonii by Jesse L. Scivrll. 

longest Book in the Bible, contains the longest chapter 
and the shortest in the Bible. It contains perhaps as 
many prophetic allusions to Christ and to Christianity as 
any other Book. It contains more earnest prayers and 
more expressions of praise ; but with all its excellences it 
does not teach Christianity as an institution of salvation. 

The Book of Proverbs, though it contains many impor- 
tant instructions has no direct reference to Christianity. 
The Book of Ecclesiastes contains much that is interesting, 
but has no direct allusions to Christianity. The song of 
Solomon puzzles me a little to understand its design. ' The 
name of the Supreme Being is not found in it, in any 
of its forms, and there are no expressions that can have 
any direct reference to Christianity. If it is not a kind 
of prospective and prophetic representation of the love of 
Christ to the church, and the love of the church to Christ, 
I know not its design. 

We now come to the books of prophecy in the Bible, 
and for the sake of brevity I will group them. I will take 
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel together and see if we can 
find in them how^ sinners can be saved in this age. In the 
second chapter of Isaiah we have a prophecy, that the 
house of the Lord was to be established upon the moun- 
tains, and the fact mentioned that the law was to go forth 
from Zion, and the w^ord of the Lord from Jerusalem. 
But we can not learn from this what that law would re- 
quire, or what that word of the Lord would teach. AYe 
learn from the seventh chapter that Christ would be born 
of a virgin. In the ninth chapter we have a prophecy of 
his birth and kingdom. In the eleventh chapter his peac- . 
able reign is described, and in the fifty -third chapter his 
humble and submissive life, and how he was to be wounded 
for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, and 
that by his stripes we were to be healed, his humiliation and 
death for our sins, how he was numbered with the trans- 
gressors and buried by the rich, his resurrection and final 
triumph are beautifully set forth, and in other places in 
this Book Christ is spoken of. In the twenty -third chap- 
ter of Jeremiah Christ is promised to David as a righteous 
branch and that his name shall be called the Lord our 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 127 

righteousness. In the 31st chapter the covenant is prom- 
ised, and some of the differences between it and the old 
are pointed out. In the Book of Ezekiel there are but 
few, if any direct allusions to Christianity. There are 
some things in the 24th and 27th chapters that are thought 
to have reference to the church or kingdom of Christ, 
w^hen God promises that his servant David shall be prince 
over them forever, and there shall be one flock and one 
shepherd. I have now examined the larger prophecies, 
and in all that is said of Christ and of Christianity there 
is nothing in them that so describes Christianity as an in- 
stitution, as to enable us to understand it, or how sinners 
would be saved when it was established. So the plan of 
our salvation is not taught in them. 

We now come to the shorter or minor prophets from 
Daniel to Malachi, and there are but few passages in these 
Books that have direct reference to the plan of salvation 
through Christ. In the 2nd chapter of Daniel we find a 
declaration concerning the kingdom of God, and also in 
the 7th chapter we find the promise that the kingdom and 
dominion were to be given to the Son of man and through 
him to the saints and they were to possess it forever and 
ever. In the 2nd chapter of Joel is found the promise 
that the Holy Spirit should be poured out on all flesh, 
which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. In the 4th 
chapter of Micah we find the promise, that the house of the 
Lord should be established on the top of the mountains, in 
the last days, and that the law should go forth of Zion, 
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. In the 15th 
chapter we have the only prophecy that tells plainly where 
Christ was to be born. In the 9th chapter of Zechai iah 
Christ riding into Jerusalem is foretold. In the 3rd chapter 
of Malachi Christ's forerunner and Christ's coming is fore- 
told. In the last chapter of Malachi, Elijah the prophet is 
promised. I have now examined, very briefly it is true, the 
entire Old Testament and it is truly a most wonderful Book, 
containing unmistakable evidence of its divine origin, that 
God is its real author. But it was not the design of the 
Old Testament to teach Christianity as an institution, but 
to prepare the way for it, by educating and preparing the 



128 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

world for it, and it contains enough concerning Christ to 
enable all who were looking for him to identify him when 
he came ; but it does not propose to tell us how he would 
save us when he came, nor what he would require the peo- 
ple to do in order that they might be saved. So we will 
have to leave the Old Testament and come to the New in 
order to find how we are to be saved. 

And in coming to the New Testament, we confidently 
expect to find Christianity taught in all its fullness as an 
institution for salvation for all nations. Here we expect 
to find clearly laid down just what sinners who live on the 
earth now are required to do in order that they may be 
saved. But where in the New Testament are we taught 
what sinners must do to be saved? Is it scattered promis- 
cuously over all its pages, or is there a certain part of it 
that treats of the salvation of sinners, and must we find 
that part before we can learn that fact ? And if so, then 
the New Testament must be divided. Hence Paul says to 
Timothy, "study to show thyself approved unto God, a 
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing 
the word of truth." 2 Tim. ii: 15. This teaches that 
ministers must rightly divide the word, or they will not be 
approved by God. Let us now examine the New Testa- 
ment and see what its proper divisions are. 

First, we find the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and 
John. And when we examine them, we find each of 
them is a narrative or history of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and from them we learn the circumstances of his birth, 
his baptism, his temptation, his teaching, his miracles, his 
crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to heaven. For 
what purpose were these books written? John says, 
** these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the 
Christ the Son of God," and this evidently expresses the 
design of all of them. They are four Books of testimony 
concerning Christ, arid they are intended to convince the 
reader that he is the Messiah, the Savior that the prophets 
foretold would come into the word ; hence they quote 
many of the prophecies that have their fulfillment in him. 
They record many of his miracles, how he healed the sick, 
raised the dead, cast out devils, and calmed the raging 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 129 

sea. These coDstitute powerful evidences that he is truly 
the Son of God. These Books constitute the first division 
of the new Testament and are in every way sufficient to 
accomplish the object for which they are wTitten. But we 
do not find every thing that is necessary for us to know in 
regard to the salvation of sinners in these Books, and 
hence we must look for another division. 

Acts of Apostles is next, and gives us the ac- 
count of the preaching of the Apostles to the world under 
the last and final commission of the Savior, guided by the 
Holy Spirit. It tells what facts they presented to the peo- 
ple for them to believe, and the testimony by which they 
sustained them, and the commands they gave for those 
who believed the facts and obeyed the commands. This is 
emphatically the Book of conversions. It tells how Jews, 
Samaritans, and Gentiles were converted and constituted 
the disciples of Christ under the preaching of the Apos- 
tles of Jesus Christ. 

We have now found where in the Bible, Christianity as 
an institution of salvation for the whole world is taught. 
We have now found where in the Bible to look to find 
how sinners who live on the earth now are to be saved 
from sin and Satan and become the children of God. But 
when persons have been convinced by the first division of 
the New Testament that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the 
living God, and have learned from the second how to be- 
come his disciples and have complied with its requisitions 
and become disciples, and they desire to know how to so 
live in this world that they may glorify him and advance 
the cause of Christianity in the earth, and exert a good in- 
fluence over the world and that they may enjoy the spir- 
itual blessings of Christianity in this life, and be prepared 
for everlasting life in the world to come, they need a third 
division of the New Testament. 

It is at hand and comes in just at the right place ; it is 
found in the letters of the apostles written to disciples be- 
ginning wdth the letter to the Komans, and ending with 
third chapter of Kevelation. This division is full and 
complete, containing general letters addressed to all Chris- 
tians, letters addressed to particular congregations, letters 
9 



130 Sermoiw by Jesse L. Sewell. 

addressed to young ministers, and letters addressed to pri- 
vate members. From these we can learn our whole duty 
to God as members of his church and our whole duty to 
each other in the several relations that we sustain in this life, 
as husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and 
servants, and our true relations to the world. But when 
we as disciples have learned all our duties in this life, we 
desire to know something about the future. So there is a 
fourth division of the New Testament beginning with the 
fourth chapter of the Book of Revelation and extending 
to the end of the Book. It gives a prophetic history of 
the church from the days of the apostles to the end of this 
world. It gives this history in the most sublime symbols 
ever presented to man ; such as the opening of the seven 
seals^ the sounding of the seven trumpets and the pour- 
ing out of the seven vials and the wonderful events that 
transpired in connection w^ith them. It tells of the great 
judgment day and the passing away of the heavens and 
the earth. It tells of the wicked being cast into the lake 
of fire and brimstone which is the second death. It tells 
of the new heaven and new earth, and of the new Jerusa- 
lem which is to be the final home of all the righteous, 
where there is to be no more death, neither sorrow nor cry- 
ing, neither will there be any more pain. The Bible is a 
wonderful Book. It is the Book of Books; it is of God 
and yet it is the Book for man. God gave it to man to 
guide him through this world to a home in heaven. It is 
the Book of time and gives its true history and its final 
end. It speaks of eternal things as readily as it gives the 
history of past events. It is the Book of life and of death ; 
it marks out the straight and narrow way that leads to life, 
and invites the people to walk in it. It lifts the veil from 
the broad way that leads to death and warns the people 
not to walk in it. 

Then reader let it be your way-bill through life, and it 
wiU conduct you safely through the dark valley of death 
and bring you at last to the throne of God, ''in whose 
presence is fullnes of joy, and at whose right hand are 
pleasures forever more. Amen." 



, ^^^m 




SERMON NO. II. 



IS THE BIBLE A MYSTERY? 

/o^ATHOLICISM answers, to the common people it is. 
IaI Upon this idea as a pretense, they took it from 
^^ the common people, saying that they could not 
understand it, and that there was danger that they 
might misinterpret it to their own destruction. What 
says Protestantism? Forty-five years ago almost if 
not all the ministers of the various denominations taught 
that the Scriptures are a profound mystery to the 
common people, and that none but those w^ho were di- 
vinely called and qualified and sent to preach, could un- 
derstand them. 

They taught that the Scriptures had a literal and a spir- 
itual meaning, and that the common people might under- 
stand something of their literal meaning, but that they 
could not understand the spiritual meaning, until the eyes 
of their understanding were opened by an immediate oper- 
ation of the Spirit, or it was unfolded to them by a called 
and sent minister ; and that even then the Spirit 
must accompany the word home to their hearts, or they 
could not understand it. The preachers would tell the 
people, that they were not permitted to choose their subject 
or text to preach from, but that the Lord impressed the text 
on their minds and that they must preach from that or they 
could not preach at all. And I have heard preachers say 
when they had been requested to preach on a certain sub- 
ject, well, if the Lord impresses that on my mind, I can 
preach on it ; but if he does not, I cannot. And it was 
not unfrequent in those days for a preacher to say to the 
congregation, I do not know what I am going to say to 

(131) 



132 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

you, but whatever the Lord puts in my mouth, that I will 
say. And it was not uncommon to hear them thank God 
that they had no learning, for they might err ; but when 
the Lord gave it to them, they knew it was right. 

I write these things that the young readers may know 
what their ancestors taught on this subject, and that they 
may be able to see what advancement has been made in 
religious teaching in the last forty-five years. But all this 
does not satisfactorily answer the question, is the Bible a 
mystery ? Some may ask the question, were these preach- 
ers correct in their teaching ? And this would make it 
necessary to investigate the matter ; what then does the 
word mystery mean ? 

Webster says, mystery is a profound secret, something 
wholly unknown. Cruden in his concordance, unabridged, 
says the word mystery signifies a secret, something that is 
kept secret from our understanding until it is revealed to 
us. And if this definition be correct the Bible certainly 
is not a mystery, for it is a revelation, and not a secret. 
The word mystery is frequently found in the Bible, and 
we must go to the Bible and see how ic is there used, and 
then I think we can determine whether it is a mystery or 
not. The first occurrence of the word mystery in the 
Bible, I believe, is in Matt, xiii: 11, where the disciples 
asked the Savior why he taught the people in parables ? 
He said : ''because it is given unto you to know the mys- 
teries of the kingdom of heaven. But to them it is not 
given." 

Here the word mystery refers to something that had 
been a secret, but was now given to them to know. 
Therefore it was to be no longer a secret to them. In 
Kom. xi: 25, it is said, " for I would not brethren that ye 
should be ignorant of this mystery." AVhat mystery, what 
secret ? Paul answers, ' ' that blindness in part has hap- 
pened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come 
in*" Here again the word mystery refers to something 
that had been secret, but which Paul here reveals ; so it 
was no longer a secret. In Romans xvi : 25-27, Paul 
speaks of a mystery that had been kept secret since the 
foundation of the world, but which was now made known 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 133 

to all nations for obedience to the faith. Here the apostle 
speaks of things that had been kept secret even from the 
foundation of the world but that are now made known. 
Therefore they are no longer a mystery. 

In 1 Cor. ii: 7-11, we have an account of things or- 
dained before the world, but which had been kept in such 
profound mystery that none, even of the princes of this 
world had known them; j^es, things that eye had not 
seen, nor ear heard; even things which had not entered into 
the heart of man. Yet the apostle says God hath revealed 
them unto us by his Spirit. Then if God has revealed 
them, they are no longer a mystery. Again, Eph. iii : 3-6, 
"How that by revelation he made known unto me the 
mystery, as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye 
read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of 
Christ ; which in other ages was not made known unto 
the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apos- 
tles and prophets, by the Spirit." 

From this we learn that the mysteries of God were not 
only revealed to the apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 
but that they made them known to us ; to all nations. In 
all places in the Scriptures where anything is spoken of as 
having been a mystery, it is spoken of as now made known. 
There is nothing spoken of as being left a mystery now. 
We are led by this investigation to the conclusion that the 
Bible is not a mystery, but a revelation in which the will 
of God to man is revealed, and that every thing that is 
necessary to the salvation of sinful men and women is 
made just as plain as they can possibly be made. 

But from what we have now said on this subject, some 
one will perhaps ask the question, do you claim to fully 
understand and comprehend everything that is in the 
Bible ; to w^hich I answer, no, emphatically no ; and I be- 
lieve it is a wise arrangement that I cannot. For if I 
could fully master it and learn everything in it, as the 
child can the spelling book, I would lose my interest in it 
as the child, when it has learned all that is in the spelling 
book, is no longer interested, or benefitted by it. It looks 
next for something higher. So I would leave the Bible 
and look for some higher source of knowledge, if I could 



134 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

fully comprehend it all. But while I conteDd most earn- 
estly that everything that is necessary to salvation is plain, 
and can be understood by all rational beings, I am free to 
admit there are many things in the proj^hecies and symbols 
of the Bible that we do not, and cannot, now fully under- 
stand, and I would further say that if any man could fully 
comprehend the Bible, he would be greater than the Bible ; 
for it is a true maxim that he that comprehends, is greater 
than that which is comprehended. 

We worship God because we believe that he is greater 
than we are. Human beings are naturally inclined to 
worship something. But they have no inclination to wor- 
ship anything that they know to be inferior to themselves. 
Although under the various systems of idolatry men have 
worshiped things inferior to themselves, it is because they 
have been made to believe that there is something about 
them that constitutes them superior in some sense to them- 
selves. But convince them that the objects of their wor- 
ship are inferior to themselves, and they will cease to wor- 
ship them. So if we were able to comjH-ehend all the 
attributes of the great Jehovah, we would cease to worship 
him. And as we cannot fully comprehend the Bible, we 
are inclined to reverence it ; and as we can never in this 
short life learn all that it contains, we are still encouraged 
to study it and not crave a higher source of knowledge. 
Indeed it is the only source of divine knowledge we have, 
and we should rejoice that we can learn enough from it 
and understand enough of its instructions, if we will be- 
lieve and obey it, to guide us into the port of eternal 
felicity. But we desire to ask another question about the 
Bible. Is the word of God a dead letter ? I am sure that 
this question has been for years past and is by many now, 
answered in the affirmative ; that the word, unless accom- 
panied by the Holy Spirit is dead, and therefore has no 
power to convert or turn sinners to God. 

Let us examine and see if this answer is correct. Fii^st, 
God asks, Jer. xxiii: 29, " is not my word like as a fire, 
saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock 
in pieces." Now to understand this we must consider the 
custom from which the figure is drawn. 



Sei^mons by Jesse L. Sewell. 135 

Before powder was invented, when men wanted to break 
rocks, for instance in making a road, they would first ap- 
ply the hammer, and if it would not yield to that, they 
would build a large fire on it and let it burn down, and 
then the rock would readily yield to the hammer. And 
this passage shows that the word of God in accomplishing 
the purposes for which it was given combines both the 
fire and the hammer. And this is further shown by a 
declaration found in Isa. Iv: 11, ''So shall my word be, 
that gocth forth out of my mouth ; it shall not return unto 
me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and 
it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." 

This show^s that the word of God has something to ac- 
complish, and that it has all the power necessary to accom- 
ylkh it, and that it will not return to him until it does 
accomjM^h it. God's w^ord is intended to save men, or 
condemn them. If they hear and obey it, it will save 
them ; but if they will not, it will condemn them. And 
the apostle says, 2 Cor. ii: 16, " For we are unto God a 
sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them 
that are lost ; to the one, we are the savour of death unto 
death, and to the other the savour of life unto life." 

Now, this evidently, means that they would be the savour 
of life unto all that believed and obeyed the gospel, and a 
savour of death to all that rejected it. This shows that 
there is in or connected with the gospel a power that is 
sufl^icient to save or to condemn, and that it does one or 
the other. This is further shown by the apostle when he 
says, '' I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is 
the power of God unto salvation to every one that be- 
lieve th ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." 

This language is very plain. He declares that the gos- 
pel is the power of God ; and the power of God is the great- 
est power known to man. And if that is not sufficient to 
save, there is nothing that is. The gospel is the means, 
and the only means that God has appoinled by which to 
save sinners, as we may learn from 1 Cor. i: 18, ''For 
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolish- 
ness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of 



136 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewelt. 

God." And verses 21-25, " For after that in the wisdom 
of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God 
by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. 
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after 
wisdom ; but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a 
stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness; but 
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ 
the power of God, and the wisdom of God." 

From this we see that the preaching that saved, was 
not a display of human Avisdom and eloquence, but con- 
sisted in preaching the cross of Christ, in preaching Christ 
crucified. And this is the only kind of preaching that will 
save. Human wisdom and eloquence may excite, may 
fascinate, may tickle the ear, and please the fancy ; but 
it cannot save. For the wisdom of this world is foolish- 
ness with God. And I fear that there is too much eflbrt 
to make disj^lay by ministers in this age ; that they often 
preach themselves to the people instead of Christ. But 
the apostles did not do this. 2 Cor. iv : 4, says, ' ' For 
we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and 
ourselves, your servants for Jesus' sake." 

I think that the j^assages that I have quoted, are suffi- 
cient to show that the gospel is all that sinners need in 
order to their salvation. If they will believe and obey it, 
there will always be power enough to save them. For 
everything that religious people regard as necessary to 
true conversion is represented in the Bible as being accom- 
plished by the word of God. Is light necessary to con- 
version ? ' Yes, for the people are in darkness. Where 
then is the light ? David says, " Thy word is a lamp unto 
my feet, and a light unto my path." Psa. cxv: 105. 
Again, " the entrance of thy word giveth light ; it giveth 
understanding to the simple." Paul was sent to the Gen- 
tiles, " to turn them from darkness to light." Acts xxvi: 
18. Are sinners going wrong, and need to be converted? 
" The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.' 
Psa. xix; 7. Do they need to be begotten of God? 
James i: 18, says, " Of his own will begat he us with the 
word of truth." Do sinners need to be born again, if so, 



Sermons by Jesse L>. SeivelL 137 

how? 1 Pet. i: 23, " Beiug born again, not of corrupti- 
ble seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God ; which 
liveth and abide th forever." if the sinner needs faith, 
(and most assuredly he does ; for ' ' he that believeth not 
shall be damned,") how does faith come ? 

In Rom, x: 17, Paul says, " So then faith cometh by 
hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Does he need 
repentance ? Yes, for the Savior says, ' ' except ye repent 
ye shall all likewise perish." Luke xiii: 3. It is com- 
manded in the word of God. Acts xvii: 30, "And the 
times of this ignorance God winked at; but now com- 
mandeth all men everywhere to repent." Confession is 
also enjoined in the word of the Lord. Rom. x : 9, 
*' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him 
from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Are penitent 
believers to be baptized, and where is the authority for 
that found ? Answer, in the word of God. Acts ii : 38, 
" Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of 
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive 
the gift of the Holy Ghost." 

From all the passages examined, and there are many 
others of a similar character, we think that it is clearly 
shown, that in the conversion of sinners the w^ord of God 
is not a dead letter. But does the word of God contain 
all that is necessary to so guide and direct the disciples of 
Christ in this world that they may obtain eternal life in 
the world to come, or do they need human laws or creeds, 
or rules of decorum to govern the church, and direct the 
disciples in their work and in the discharge of their duties? 
I am aware that many religious teachers tell us that the 
Bible is not sufficient, and that the church needs creeds to 
govern it. Let us examine that subject in the light of 
the Bible. In 1 Cor. xii : 21, we find that God has set 
helps and government in the church. Then if God has 
given the church a government, that is sufficient. But 
again, the apostle says to Timothy, ** From a child thou 
hast known the holy Scriptures, w^hich are able to make 
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and 



138 Seimons by Jesse L. Sewell 



is profitable for doctrine, for rej^roof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 
Tim. iii: 15-17. From this we see that if the man of 
God needs doctrine he has it in the Scriptures ; if he needs 
reproof, it is there; if he needs correction, he gets it 
from the Scriptures. If he needs instruction, it is there ; 
and this is all he needs. If he is perfect, and thoroughly 
furnished to all good works, he surely needs no more. 
But again, Peter says, "According as his divine power 
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and 
godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called 
us to glory and virtue." 2 Pet. i : 3. 

Now all the knowledge that we have of him that hath 
called us to glory and virtue, we get from the Scriptures. 
We therefore understand the apostle here to teach that all 
things that pertain to life and godliness are contained in 
the Holy Scriptures ; and that being so we need nothing 
more. But again, James says. "Wherefore lay apart all 
filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with 
meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your 
souls." James i: 21. 

Here we learn that the word of God is able to save, and 
will save the souls of all that are doers of it. And again, 
the apostle says to the Hebrews that, "The word of God 
is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword." 
Heb. iv: 12. What more power do we need than this? 
And lastly Paul says to the elders of the church at Ephe- 
sus, "And now brethren I commend you to God, and to 
the word of his grace ; which is able to build you up, and 
to give you an inheritance among all them which are 
sanctified." 

Now reader, we have shown in this sermon that the 
Bible is not a dead letter. Be encouraged then to read it 
in full confidence that you can understand all that pertains 
to your salvation. Read it then and believe its facts, and 
obey its commands, and trust its promises, and you will 
have all the assurance that the great Jehovah can give 
that you are saved fi-om sin and Satan ; and then if you 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 139 

hold out faithful to the end you will have an abundant 
entrance into the everlasting kingdom, where sorrow, 
pain and death can never enter, and where peace and 
joy reign uninterruptedly for ever more. Amen. 




SERMON NO. III. 



WHEN WAS THE KINGDOM OR CHURCH OF GOD SET UP OR 
ESTABLISHED ON EARTH. 

X I ^HERE are various answers to this question given by 
^1^ religious teachers in this age. Some say it was 
'^ complete in Christ with all its members before the 
foundation of the world ; others say it was established in 
the days of Abraham ; and others tell us that it was set up 
during the ministry of John the Baptist. And still others 
say that it was not set up until after the ascension of 
Christ, while some even tell us that it is not set up yet. 

Now it is evident that all these dates can not be correct. 
The one kingdom could not have been set up at so many 
different times. And it is a very important matter that 
we should know just when it was set up, in order that we 
may know what the laws of induction into it are , for it is 
not reasonable to suppose that these laws would be enacted 
and made known before the kingdom was set up. 

Let us therefore examine this subject carefully in the 
light of the Bible, and see if we can find just when it was 
established. The first Scripture we will call your atten- 
tion to is the second chapter of the book of Daniel. In 
this chapter we have the account, by the king of Babylon, 
and interpreted by Daniel. In the dream a great 
image stood before the king composed of four different 
kinds of metal, and in describing the fourth or last of 
these kingdoms Daniel says, ' ' In the days o^ these kings 
the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom." 

And it is agreed by all parties so far as known to me 

that this is a prophecy or promise of the kingdom of God 

spoken of in the New Testament, and it is certain that the 

kingdom spoken of here was not set up before this dream 

(140) 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 141 

was had, and interpreted, for this prophecy unmistakably 
points to the future for its fulfillment. The prophet said 
in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up 
a kingdom ; and near the close of the chapter Daniel says 
that the God of heaven hath made known to the king 
things that shall be hereafter. When then was this dream ? 
If it was dreamed before the days of Abraham, it may 
have reference to the days of Abraham. But Daniel him- 
self was of the seed of Abraham, and lived more than a 
thousand years after the death of Abraham. Therefore 
this prophecy could have had no reference to any thing 
done in his days. 

This shows therefore that the kingdom spoken of here 
was not set up before the foundation of the world nor in 
the days of Abraham. And this forever settles that ques- 
tion, and so we will have to look to some other period to 
find the time that the kingdom was set up. This dream 
was before the day of John the Baptist, and therefore 
might have reference to his day ; we must therefore come 
down to the account of his ministry and examine that, 
and see whether it was set up in his day or not. 

The first account of John's preaching is in Matt, iii : 1-2, 
*' In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the 
wilderness of Judea, and saying, repent ye for the kingdom 
of heaven is at hand." Yes, and sure enough, he is;, 
preaching about the kingdom, and says it is at hand.. 
What then does *' at hand" mean? if it means already 
come, already here, then the kingdom was set up at the 
very beginning of John's ministry. But if it only means 
near, close by, then the kingdom was not set up at the 
commencement of his ministry, but was only near. 
To illustrate ; the oflicer says to his soldiers when 
they are sorely pressed by an enemy, be of good 
cheer, there is help at hand. Kow what do they under- 
stand him to mean? evidently they understand him to 
mean that there is help near, but not already there. 
And this is evidently the meaning of the words " at hand." 
This is further sustained by what the Savior said when he 
required the seventy to testify to the people that " the 
kingdom is come nigh unto you." Luke tenth chapter^ 



142 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

So tlie kingdom was not set up at the beginning of John's 
ministry, but was only near. * 

In Matt. 4^17, we have the record of Christ's preaching, 
which says, *' from that time Jesus began to preach and to 
say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The 
kingdom was not set up until Christ began to preach. The 
kingdom was also still future when Christ gave the first 
commission to the apostles ; for he said to them, " as ye go 
preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt. 
X : 7. The kingdom was still future after the disciples had 
fulfilled this commission. For it was after this that Christ 
said, " on this rock I will build my church, and the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against it." This teaches clearly 
that the church was not yet established; and the word 
church here evidently means the same as the word king- 
dom, for Christ immediately answered, "and I will give 
unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," which 
shows clearly that the kingdom was not then set up. And 
this was after the death of John the Baptist. From this 
we learn that the kingdom was not set up during 
the personal ministry of John the Baptist. So we will 
look to the future, still, to find the time of its establish- 
ment. 

After this the Savior says, "verily I say unto you, that 
there be some of them standing here which shall not taste 
of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come 
with power." This shows that the kingdom had not yet 
come, but that it would come before persons then standing 
around him would die. Mark ix ; 1. And again the Savior 
said, "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the 
kingdom of God shall come." Luke xxviii: 18. This Avas 
the night in which he was betrayed, and the kingdom is 
not yet come. After he was crucified, and was dead on 
the cross, "Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor, 
which also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went 
in boldly and begged the body of Jesus." Mark xv: 43. 
This was after the death of the Savior, and his disciples 
were still waiting for the kingdom to come, for "Joseph 
was Jesus' disciple." Matt, xxvii: 57. And again after 
he rose from the dead, and just before he ascended to 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 143 

heaven, his disciples asked him, saying, ''Lord, wilt thou 
at this tinie restore again the kingdom to Israel ? " Acts 
i : 6. Immediately after this conversation, we read of his 
ascension to heaven, and his disciples' return to Jerusa- 
lem where he had commanded them to tarry until they 
should be endued with power from on high. Luke 
xxiv: 49. 

Now the Savior is gone to heaven, and the kingdom is 
not yet set up. Well, this agrees with his teaching. For 
he taught that he must go away in order to receive his 
kingdom. Luke xix: 12-19. Since Christ is gone to 
heaven, how are we to ascertain just when the kingdom 
was set up. Are all things now ready for it? There are 
several things that are absolutely necessary in order for a 
kingdom to begin : first there must be a king vested with 
the proper authority to reign. And in order to have that 
authority, he must conquer all opposing powers. There 
must be subjects that have covenanted for him to reign over 
them. Were all these things ready at that time ? Let us 
see. We find from the history of the kingdoms of this 
world that no kingdom ever permitted a new one to be es- 
tablished within its own territory until its armies were first 
subdued. Was there an older kingdom or power that op- 
posed the establishment of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and 
if so, had he now conquered it? There ivas such a power, 
and he had now conquered it, but what was that power? 
It was the power of the devil. For the devil is spoken of 
as the prince of this world. Johnxii: 31. " The prince 
of this world shall be cast out. xiv : 30. For the prince 
of this world cometh and hath nothing in me, xvi : 11, 
Because the prince of this world is judged." Satan is rep- 
resented as having [n, kingdom in Matt, xii; 26, "and if 
Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself. How 
then shall this kingdom stand ? " Satan said that all the 
kingdoms of this world had been delivered to him, Luke 
iv: 5, and offered them all to the Savior, if he would 
worship him. We see then that Satan has a kingdom and 
that it embraces all the kingdoms of this world, and with 
all this power he opposed the Savior. 

When Christ was baptized and God had said, **This is 



144 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

my beloved Son in whom I am well jDleased," all the fears 
of Satan were at once aroused, and he made his first attack 
on the Savior by temptation, by which he had succeeded in 
leading our first parents away from God. But failing in 
that, he next caUed to his aid, the rulers of the Jews, who 
had departed from the law of God, and had become the 
children of the devil. For Christ said to them, ''ye are 
of your father, the devil; and his work will ye do." John 
viii : 44. So we find them opposing and prosecuting him 
in all his labors of love during his life on earth ; and finally 
they arrested him, and tried him before their court, and 
condemned him. But their power had been so far limited 
by the Eomans, that they could not put him to death. 
And so he was carried before the Eoman court, and cdh- 
demned there to be crucified. And here the great battle 
between the prince of peace and the prince of darkness 
began in earnest. This was the greatest battle ever fought 
on this earth ; a battle that involved the destiny of the 
world for vast eternity. If the 'prince of peace conquers, 
the human race has a chance of salvation from sin, salva- 
tion from the grave, and everlasting life and happiness. 
But if Satan conquers, the human race is lost forever. 
Thus the battle begins : Satan arrays the iron kingdom, 
and all the powers of darkness against the prince of peace. 
But the prince of peace was abandoned on this occasion by 
all on earth and in heaven, and left to battle against this 
fearful host alone. 

In the temptation when Satan left him, angels came and 
ministered unto him. When he was struggling under that 
heavy weight of grief and sorroAv in the garden of Gethsem- 
ane, angels appeared unto him strengthening him. But here 
he is left alone. But he maintained the conflict against 
this fearful host until it darkened the sun, shook the earth, 
rent the rocks, opened the graves and rent the vail of the 
temple in twain. But at last, being weakened by wounds 
and crushed by pain, and grief, he cried out with a loud 
voice, it is finished, and gave up the ghost. 

Satan seems to have gained the victory, and the powers 
of darkness rejoice and his disciples, disappointed, and aU 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seiuell. 145 

their hopes gone, retire from the scene in grief and sorrow. 
But the end is not yet, Satan up to this time had the 
power over death. Heb. ii : 14, And he being deter- 
mined to hold the prince of peace under his power, had 
the grave sealed, and a watch set. But on the third morn- 
ing an angel descended, at whose coming the earth quaked, 
and at whose presence the keepers quaked, and became as 
dead men. The Angel broke the seal, rolled the stone 
away, the Savior rose from the dead a triumphant con- 
queror over death, hades and the grave. Here the prince 
of peace triumphed ; and the victory was complete when 
he ascended up on high, and led captivity captive. Thus 
the prince of peace had conquered all his enemies, and was 
now ready to take his seat on the throne as king. But 
were there any subjects that were willing that he should 
reign over them ? Yes, there were his chosen ambassadors, 
waiting in Jerusalem in obedience to his command to re- 
ceive power from on high. And there were many others 
in Jerusalem that were his disciples and ready to submit to 
him as their king. 

Therefore when he ascended to heaven everything was 
ready for his kingdom to begin. And he being crowned 
king, sent down the Holy Spirit U2ion his apostles, endued 
them with power from on high, and thus qualified them to 
fulfill the commission he had given them. And having 
received the keys of the kingdom according to his prom- 
ise, they opened the kingdom by making known the laws 
of induction into it, and about three thousand persons 
complied with the laws of induction and entered into the 
kingdom on that very day. 

After this, we have no mention of the kingdom as being 
future. But it is spoken of as something that was pres- 
ent, and that the. people were continually entering into it. 
And this day of Pentecost is afterwards referred to as the 
beginning. Acts xi: 15. 

I think that I have now clearly shown that the kingdom 

or church of God began as a fully organized body or 

church on the day of Pentecost, and that it was not fully 

organized before that day. But I am aware that there 

10 



146 Sermo)is by Jesse L. SeiveU. 

are many that believe that there are passages that prove 
that it was set up in the days of John the Baptist, and as 
it is right to do justice to all, we will examine these pas- 
sages. Luke xvi: 15. "The law and the prophets were 
until John ; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, 
and every man presseth into it." Matt, xi: 12, "And 
from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom 
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." Matt, 
xviii : 17, " And if he neglect to hear them, tell it to the 
church." 

Now, these passages and others of a similar character 
are relied on to prove that the kingdom or church was es- 
tablished in the days of John the Baptist. They ask, how 
could persons press into the kingdom if it did not exist ? 
And then how could the violent take it by force, if it was 
not yet set up? Or how could they tell it to the church, 
if there was no church ? Now we admit that there is some 
weight in these arguments, Avhen these passages are taken 
by themselves, without taking into consideration all that 
is taught on this subject. But we should take into con- 
sideration that in establishing all new kingdoms or govern- 
ments, there is always first a kind of provisional or pre- 
paratory department established, before there is a perma- 
nent kingdom or government set up. And it was just so 
in this case. John's work was a preparatory work, and 
not a permanent work, and came to an end when the way 
of the Lord was prejDared. For we read, Matt, iii; 3, in 
speaking of John the Baptist, " For this he that was 
spoken of by the prophet Esaias saying, the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, 
make his way straight. xVnd again Luke i : 16, " Aud 
thou child shalt be called the prophet of the highest; for 
thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his 
ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people for 
the remission of their sins." 

And this is precisely the work John did. He preached 
the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and 
the people baptized by him were prepared for the Lord, 
and this constituted the preparatory department of the 



Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 147 

kingdom. But it did not become a permanent kingdom 
until the king was crowned in heaven, and the apostles 
were endued with power from on high. And it was into 
this preparatory department that the people were pressing ; 
it was this preparatory department that the violent were 
taken by force, and not the permanent kingdom. Hence 
we read of two of his disciples asking that they might sit 
one on his right hand and the other on the left in his 
kingdom. Mark x: 37. Here is the pressing into it. 
And again the people were about to take him by force, to 
make him king. John vii : 15. Here are the violent tak- 
ing it by force. And when Christ in the eighteenth of 
Mathew says tell it to the church, he was e^^delltly speak- 
ing prospectively, and teaching what they should do 
when the church was established. For the church was 
not established until Christ a^scended to heaven and 
was there made head over all thiuirs to the church. 
Eph. i : 22. 

There is another class of religious teachers that are 
teaching the people that the kingdom is not yet set up ; 
that Christ has not yet been made king, and that he has 
no kingdom yet. And I am satisfied that this is an error, 
and calculated to deceive the people. I therefore propose 
to examine it in the light of the Bible. And first, has 
Christ been made king. Now to the law and to the testi- 
mony. Peter says, " Let all the house of Israel know as- 
suredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye 
have crucified, both Lord and Christ." And again Peter 
says, "He is on the right hand of God, angels and au- 
thorities and powei-s being made subject unto him." 1 Pe- 
ter iii : 2. Paul says, "God set him on his own right 
hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and 
power, and might, and dominion and every name that is 
named not only in this world, but also in that which is to 
come, and hath put all things under his feet." "We say 
without fear of successful contradiction that these passages 
clearly teach that Christ is now king. But has he a king- 
dom ? Paul says of God, "who hath delivered us from 
the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the 
kingdom of his dear Sou." 



148 Sennons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

This shows that the Son of God has a kingdom, and 
that Paul and the Colossians were in it. And again "I 
John who also am your brother and companion in tribula- 
tion and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." 
This passage shows clearly that he had a kingdom and 
that John and the seven churches were in it. Again "for 
he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet ; 
the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Cor. 
XV : 25-6. This shows that he was reigning when this 
was written, and that he must reign until the resurrection ; 
for the last enemy, which is death, will not be destroyed 
till the resurrection. This forever settles the ques- 
tion. 

Now dear reader, we have shown that Christ the great 
prince, has conquered the powers of darkness and has es- 
tablished his kingdom on earth. Are you in the kingdom, 
and are you a loyal subject of the king? If so, you oc- 
cupy the only absolutely safe ground in this world. Your 
king has all power in heaven and on earth, and is there- 
fore able to protect you from the strongest enemy that can 
assault you. And if you continue faithful to him, he will 
ultimately bring you into his everlastiug kingdom of glory. 
But if you are not in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, you are 
still under the power of darkness. For though Christ has 
conquered Satan, he has not yet destroyed his kingdom ; 
but permits him still to reign over all that are willing to re- 
main in his kingdom, and all who refuse to come into the 
kingdom of God's dear Son. 

Now dear reader, as long as you remain in the kingdom 
of Satan, you stand on dangerous ground, ''you are 
without hope and withou God in the world." You are ex- 
posed to the wrath of God, and everlasting destruction 
from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his 
power. We beseech you therefore to come out of the king- 
dom of Satan. For Satan has no power to forcibly de- 
tain you there ; he is conquered ; you can come out, if 
you will, and your salvation depends upon your coming 
out. Let me say to you that the Lord will not force you 
to come out. He has made it possible for you to come 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Sewell. 



149 



out, and has invited you, and has placed motives high 
as heaven and vast as eternity, before you to influ- 
ence you to come. He has taught you how to come ; he 
requires you to believe on him with all your heart, and 
repent of all your sins, and confess him with the mouth 
before men, and to be baptized in his name. This will 
bring you into the kingdom of God's dear Son, where you 
will find redemption through his blood, even the forgive- 
ness of sins. 





'^^^ — . 4. 



SERMON No. IV. 



WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 

(JTCTS xvi : 29, "Then he called for a light and sprang 
7^ in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul 
' and Silas, and brought them out and said. Sirs, 

what must I do to be saved ? And they said. Believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy 
house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord 
and to all that were in his house. And he took them the 
same hour of the night and washed their stripes^ and was 
baptized, he and all his straightway. And when he had 
brought them into his house, he set meat before them and 
rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." 

This we regard the most important question a sinful 
man or woman can ask. It is a question that involves 
their destinies for time and eternity. It is a question that 
applies to ones self, and to no one else. It is an inquiry 
what he or she, as an individual, must do — not what some 
on-e else must do to be saved. He does not ask what will 
the Lord do to save me, or how will the Lord save me ? 
He does not ask how will the Holy Spirit convert or save 
me, nor does he ask the apostles how they are going to 
save him. But, ivhat must I clof There is the divine and 
the human part in the plan of salvation, and neither of 
them alone will save the sinner. The most important 
thing for the sinner is to know his part ; for if he knows 
his part and acts it out faithfully, he need have no trouble 
about the Lord's part: for that will be done right and at 
the right time. 

But, says one, I think you are w^rong here, for the sinner 
has no power to do any thing. He is totally depraved, 
and so dead that he can not think one good thought, nor 
(150) 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewdl. 151 

perform one good act, and all the faculties of his soul and 
body so perverted that he is evil, and wholly opposed to 
all that is good. If this is true, it is evident that none of 
the people nor the teachers so understood it in the days of 
Christ and the apostles. Similar questions were often 
asked and answered in their day. A rich young man 
came to our Savior and said unto him, "Good Master, 
what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life ? " 
Matt, xix : 16. The Savior surely knew whether he could 
do any thing or not, and if he kncAV that he could not, he 
surely would have told him so. But instead of that, he 
told him what to do, which shows clearly that he could do 
something, and that he must do something, or he would 
not be saved. 

The people of Jerusalem Baid to Peter and the rest of 
the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 
Acts ii : 37. This shows that the people understood that 
there was something for them to do, and that they believed 
that they had power to do it, if they knew what it was. 
This question was put to all the apostles when they were 
all sj^eaking as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance, and 
surely if it had been so that the sinner could not do any 
thing, some of the apostles w^ould have know^n it, and 
would have told them so. But instead of this, they told 
them what to do, which shows that they knew that they 
could do something. But if some of the learned divines 
of our day had been there, instead of these ignorant fish- 
ermen, they would have gravely told them that they could 
do nothing, and would have begun praying to the Lord to 
send down ccmvcrting power and convert these sinners. 

The Savior, after his resurrection and ascension to 
heaven, had not yet learned that sinners could not do any 
thing. For when Saul " trembling and astonished said, 
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? He said unto him, 
arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what 
thou must do." Acts ix : 6. And he sent a man to tell 
him what to do. From all these passages we learn that all 
the people, and all the teachers, understood that there was 
something for sinners to do, and that they had power to 
do it ; but a friend says, you will render yourself very un- 



152 Sermons hy Jesse L. Seivell. 

popular by usiug that word do so much, for it is a very 
\iupopular word aiuoug many religious peoj^le of this age. 
But did not Christ and the apostles use it ? Let us see : 
Matt, vii: 21, ''Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, 
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that 
doeth the will of my Father Avhich is in heaven." Verse 
24: "Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, 
and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man that built 
his house on a rock." Again in verse 26, " And every 
one that heareth these saying of mine and doeth them not, 
shall be likened to a foolish man, that built his house upon 
the sand." 

Here, the man that Jieareth and doethj is the wise man, 
and he that heareth and doeth not, is the foolish man. The 
man that doeth, builds his house on the rock ; but the man 
that doeth not, builds his house on the sand. He that 
doeth, builds a house that will stand against the rains, the 
floods and winds ; he that doeth not, his house will ffll, 
and great will be the fall of it. Luke vi : 46, "And wny 
call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I 
say?" And again, Luke viii; 21, And he answered 
and said unto them, my " mother and my brethren are those 
which hear the word of God and do it." James ii : 122, 
" But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, de- 
ceiving 5^our own selves." Verse 25, " But who so look- 
eth into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, 
he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, 
this man shall be blessed in his deed." Again, Kev. xxii: 
14, " Blessed are they that do his commandments, that 
they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in 
through the gates into the city." Christ and the apostles 
used the word do ; and, while in their company, we are 
not ashamed to use it. We find by examining that the 
blessing of God to the people under every covenant was 
made to depend upon their doing the commandments of 
God required of them under the covenant under which 
they lived. The patriarch obtained the blessings of God 
by obedience to his commands. Abel offered his offering 
by faith, and that is offering in obedience to God, for if 
God had not spoken to him, he could have had no faith, 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Sewell. 153 

since faith comes by hearing the word of God. To do 
anything by faith is to do it according to the word on which 
faith rests. Enoch ' ' walked with God three hundred 
years," and to walk with God is to walk in all his com- 
mandments and ordinances, as did Zacharias and Elizabeth. 
Luke i : 6. Noah obeyed all God's commands and was 
saved from the flood. Abraham not only believed all 
that God said to him, but obeyed his commandments, and 
there is as much importance attached to his obedience in 
the Scriptures as there is to faith. Paul said, *' By faith, 
Abraham, when he w^as called to go out into a place which 
he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed ; 
and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Heb. 
xi : 8. And when God commanded him to ofier his son, 
Isaac, for a burnt offering to him, he obeyed. And when 
he had gone as far as God permitted him to go in the mat- 
ter, he stayed his hand and said to him, "By myself have 
I sworn saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this 
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that 
in blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multi- 
ply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which 
is on the sea shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of 
his enemy. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the 
earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice." 
Gen. xxii : 16-17. And again God said to Isaac, *' I will 
make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will 
give unto thy seed all these countries, and in thy seed 
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because that 
Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my com- 
mandraepts, my statutes and my laws." Gen. xxvi : 4-5. 
And it would be very hard to find words that would set 
forth a more full and complete obedience than this. 

James said, ''Was not Abraham, our father, justified 
by works, when he had oflfered Isaac, his son, upon the al- 
ter? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and 
by works was faith made perfect?" Jam. ii : 21-22. 
And notwithstanding, his faith would have been dead and 
imperfect without obedience ; yet men will stand up and 
say that Abraham was justified by faith only, and that we 
are now justified by faith only, and pronounce obedience 



154 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

to God's commands unnecessary. But that the patriarchs 
received the blessings of God in obedience to his com- 
mands, and that the people under the law of Moses re- 
ceived the blessings of God in obedience to that law, is 
shown almost throughout the entire Bible. We will give 
one instance: Duet, xxviii: 1, "And it shall come to 
pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the 
Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments 
which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God 
will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. And 
all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, 
if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. 
Blessed shalt thou be iu the city, and blessed shalt thou be 
in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and 
the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the 
increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed 
shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt tliou be 
when thou comest in and blessed shalt thou be when thou 
goest out." A very loug list of blessings is here prom- 
ised to them on condition that they observe and do all the 
commandments of the law. 

Then follows a long and fearful list of the curses that 
should come on them if they did not observe to do all the 
commandments of the law. We can further see the im- 
portance of the question that the jailer asked, from the 
fact that in all the places in the BibJe where the judguient 
is spoken of, men will be judged according to that which 
they have done ; a few examples of whicli we will give. 
Jer. XXV : 14, "And I will recompose them accordiug to 
their deeds and according to the works of their own 
hands." Eze. xviii : 30, "Therefore I will judge you, O 
house of Israel, every one according to his ways." 2 Cor. 
V : 10, " For we must all appear before the judgment seat 
of Christ, that every. one may receive the tilings done in 
his body according to that he hath done, whether it be 
good or bad." Rev. xxii: 22, "And behold I come 
quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man 
according as his work shall be." 

We have no account of any being judged and rewarded 
according to what the Lord has done for them, or according 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 155 

to what the Holy Spirit has done for them, nor according 
to what any man has done for them : but always accord- 
ing to what they, themselves, have done. Hence the im- 
portance of the question, what miist I do ? To this we will 
now turn our attention, and w^e w^ish to get the question 
fully before the mind of the reader. He asks, what 7mist 
I do, not what may I do if I choose, but what must I do to be 
saved f This question required the apostles to tell all that 
was absolutely necessary to his salvation, and nothing 
more. Therefore, all that they told him to do w^as abso- 
lutely necessary to his salvation, and things without which 
he could not be saved. But what did they tell him to do ? 
They told him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But 
is this all they told him to do ? I am aware that all who 
teach justification by faith only endeavor to make the im- 
pression that this is all that they told him to do. But if 
so, what does this mean ? ''And they spake unto him the 
word of the Lord, and to all that w'ere in his house." This 
means something more, something added to w^hat they had 
previously said. And I insist that we must know what is 
contained in the phrase, " the word of the Lord," before we 
can know all that the Apostles told him to do. But can we 
learn from the Scriptures just what is contained in this 
phrase, just what w^as preached, wiien it is said that the 
word was preached ? 

In order to learn this, Ave will have to learn when and 
where the word of the Lord under Christianity was first 
preached and by whom. We must also learn ivhat was 
said. If we can learn all these, we will then certainly 
know just what Paul and Silas spake to the jailer, when 
they spake unto him the word of the Lord ; we will then 
have the full answer to his question. The first thing, 
then, is to learn when and where the word was first 
preached. The word of the Lord was a subject of proph- 
ecy, and we must examine what they have said about it. 
In Isa. ii : 2, and Mic. iv : 1, w^e have the following: "And 
it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of 
the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the 
mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all na- 
tions shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and 



156 Sermons by Jesse L. SeivelL 

say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountaiu of the 
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach 
us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out 
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord 
from Jerusalem." The place where all these events were 
to transpire was Jerusalem; and the time is expressed in the 
phrase the last days. But certain questions may be asked 
about these prophecies, for there was a house built by 
King Solomon that was called the house of the Lord. Is 
it that house -the prophet is here speaking of? We answer, 
no; for the following reasons — that house was built long 
before this prophet lived, and yet he points to the future 
— it shall come to pass. 

And again, but one nation had any right to the house 
built by Solomon, and all nations were to flow unto this 
house. Yet it will be asked, if there is any house of God 
spoken of in the Scriptures that was established after the 
days of these prophets? We answer, there is; 1 Tim. iii: 
14, " These things write I unto you, hoping to come unto 
you shortly. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know 
how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, 
which is the church of the liA^ng God, the pillar and 
ground of the truth." This is evidently the house that 
tliese prophets here speak of. Similar questions may be 
asked in regard to the law that is to go forth out of Zion. 
Was it the law of Moses? We answer, no ; for the law of 
Moses was given long before the prophets lived, and yet 
they point to future time — out of Zion shall go forth the 
hiw. The law of Moses did not go forth from Zion, but 
from Mount Sinai. 

But is there any other law spoken of in the Scriptures 
tliat went forth from Zion after the days of the prophets ? 
We answer, there is ; which law James twice calls the law 
of liberty in the first chapter of his epistle, and which 
Paul calls the law of the Spirit. Rom. viii : 2, " For the 
law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death." This is certainly the law 
that these prophets here speak of. But there is one proph- 
ec)^ that we wish to call attention to : Joel ii : 28-32, part 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 157 

only of which we will here quote : ' ' And it shall come to 
pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, 
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and 
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall 
see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the 
handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." 
Where is this prophecy to be fulfilled ? Answer — in Je- 
rusalem. For in the close, the prophet said, ''For in 
Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the 
Lord hath said." 

We now call attention to some of the words of Christ 
on the same subject, and compare them with these prophe- 
cies. Lukexxiv: 44-49, "And he said unto them these 
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with 
you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written in 
the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms 
concerning me. * * * .And said unto them, thus it is 
written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise 
from the dead the third day, and that repentance and 
remission of sins should be preached in his name among 
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses 
of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my 
Father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusa- 
lem until ye be endued with power from on high." The 
prophets and Christ both embraced all nations and made 
Jerusalem the beginning place, and the reader will re- 
member that we are now endeavoring to find when and 
where the word of the Lord was first preached. The place 
is clearly expressed, both by the prophets, and the Savior 
—Jerusalem is the place. The prophets set down the 
time in the phrase the last days. The Savior fixes the time 
to be when his disciples are endued with power from on 
high. And if we find that the time that the apostles 
were endued with power from on high, is the same time 
that the prophets call the last days, that will settle the 
question as to the time. When, then, were the apostles 
endued with power from on high ? The Lord said to 
them, *' Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost 
is come upon you." Acts i : 8. But when did the Holy 
Ghost come upon them? ''And when the day of pente- 



158 Sermons hy Jesse L. SeweU. 

cost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one 
place : and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as 
of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house 
where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them 
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began 
to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utter- 
ance." Acts ii : 1-4. 

The apostles are now endued with power from on high, 
and are authorized to begin preaching repentance and re- 
mission of sins in the name of Christ. They are also at 
Jerusalem, where the Lord commanded them to begin. 
But is it the time that the prophets call the last days ? We 
read in second of Acts that *' when this was noised abroad, 
the multitude came together, and were confounded, because 
that every man heard them speak in his own language. 
^ :{< * >i< * ^jQ(j ll^Qj ^yere all amazed and marveled. 
* * * But others mocking said, these men are full of 
new wine. Then, Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted 
up his voice and said unto them, " Ye men of Judea, and 
all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you 
and hearken unto my words. For these are not drunken, 
as ye suppose, seeing this is but the third hour of the day.^^ 
" But this is that which was spoken by the ^Drophet Joel, 
And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God, I 
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons 
and your daughters shall prophesy." Then, the time that 
the prophets called the last days has come, and it is the 
very time that the apostles were endued with power from 
on high. It was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 
that endued the apostles with power from on high. The 
last days having come, it is the time that the prophets said 
the house of the Lord should be established on the moun- 
tains, the time that they said, out of Zion shall go forth 
the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem ; the 
time that the apostles are endued with power to begin 
preaching repentance and remission of sins in the name of 
Christ. 

We have now found the time and place where " the word 



Seiinons by Jesse L. Seivell. 159 

of the Lord " was to begin, and we have found the right 
man at tki right place. Peter then stood up, and is the 
man to whom the Lord said, * ' I will give unto thee the 
keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou 
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatso- 
ever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." 
Matt, xvi : 19. And we have a record of what he said 
in the second chapter of Acts. After he had shown that 
this miraculous occurrence was the fulfillment of the proph- 
ecy of Joel, and thus quelled all their amazement and 
wonder, and prepared them to hear, he called their atten- 
tion, saying, " Ye men of Israel, hear these words." He 
now l)egins to preach the word of the Lord, but as the 
prophets said tliat the law should go forth out of Zion and 
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, we wish to notice 
both, and draw the distinction between them. To preach 
the word of the Lord, is to j^resent the things of the Lord, 
to tell what the Lord has done for us. To preach the 
word of the Lord, is to set forth the divine part in the 
plan of salvation. But to declare the law is to tell the 
people what they nuist do ; to proclaim tlie law is to set 
forth the human part in tlie plan of salvation, and so the 
apostles preached the word of the Lord, first by present- 
ing tlie things concerning the Lord; " Ye men of Israel, 
hear these words. Jesus, of Nazareth, a man approved of 
God, among you by miracles and wonders and signs which 
God did by him in the midst of you as ye yourselves also 
know." Here his life and miracles are presented, and 
then he said, "him being delivered by the determinate 
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and 
by wicked hands have crucified, and slain." Here his 
death for our sins is presented, and then he said, — ''Whom 
God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, be- 
cause it was not possible that he should be h olden of it. 

Here his resurrection for our justification is proclaimed, 
and after giving the testimony to prove his resurrection, 
he said, "Therefore being by the right hand of God ex- 
alted, and having received of the Father the promise of 
the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see 
and hear." Here his ascension to heaven is preached, and 



160 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 



after showing that David was not speaking here of his 
own resurrection and ascension, but of that of ^Christ, he 
then finished the word of the Lord by saying, ''Let all 
of the house Israel know assuredly that God hath made that 
same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." 
Here his coronation as Lord of all is proclaimed, and the 
people are solemnly called on to receive or believe it. 
And the next verse shows that many of them did it, for 
they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, " men and 
brethren w^hat shall we do ? " And now that the word of 
the Lord is preached, and many of the people believed it 
and are pierced to the heart, and asked Avhat must we do, 
are w^e not to expect the law to be proclaimed, and the 
people to know what they must do? Most assuredly ; and 
so we have it: " Then Peter said unto them. Repent, and 
be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, 
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
the Holy Ghost." 

And did any of them comply with the terms? Yes; 
for after recording other instructions and admonitions, the 
writer says, " Then they that gladly received his word 
were baptized, and the same day there were added unto 
them about three thousand souls." From this record we 
learn w'hat is contained in the word of the Lord as it was 
preached at Jerusalem. And the same things that were 
preached there, were to be preached among all nations; 
and as Paul and Silas spake the Avord of the Lord to the 
jailer and his house, they spake to them all that is in this 
record. And, as the jailer's question required them to tell 
him all that was absolutely necessary to his salvation, and 
nothing more, it is evident that they regarded everything 
that is contained in the word of the Lord absolutely nec- 
essary to his salvation. And it is evident that he and all 
his house so regarded them, from the fact that they com- 
plied with them the same hour of the night. For after 
they spake the word of the Lord, " he took them the same 
hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was bap- 
tized, he and all his straightway." From all this we learn 
that the full answer to the jailer's question is this : that 
he must believe all the facts set forth in the word of the 



Sermom hy Jesse L. Seivell. 161 

Lord Avith all liis heart, and repent of all his sins, and 
confess the Lord with his mouth before men, and be bap- 
tized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. 
But I am aware that many do not understand why the an- 
swer to such questions is not always given in precisely the 
same words, if all these are necessary to the salvation of 
all sinners ; for example, on the day of Pentecost, when 
they asked this question, the apostle did not say believe, 
but said, repent and be baptized. 

When Saul asked the same question, and Ananias was 
sent to answer it, he did not tell him to believe nor repent, 
but said, '* arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins." 
But when the jailer asked this question, the apostle said, 
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and did not say repent 
or be baptized. Many ask why this difference? The 
difference in the answers is found in the difference of 
the character of the persons when the answer w^as 
given. Faith, repentance and baptism are all re- 
quired of each and every sinner, in order to salvation. 
But some of them had done some of these before the 
answer was given, and when that was so, then what they had 
previously done was not contained in the answer given to 
them. For example, the people in Jerusalem had believed 
before they asked the question ; but they had not repented, 
nor been baptized. Hence the apostle did not say to them 
believe, but said repent and be baptized. But when Saul's 
question was answered, he had believed and repented. 
Hence neither of these is found in the answer. But he had 
not been baptized, and that is all that was contained in the 
answer; but when the jailer asked the question, what had 
he done ? Just nothing at all ; hence the apostles had to 
preach the word of the Lord to him, which contains them 
all, faith, repentance and baptism, in order to answer this 
question. They all complied with all these before they 
were saved, all that they had not done before was al- 
ways embraced in the answer given ; so we think this dif- 
ficulty is in this way removed. But I am aware that those 
who practice sprinkling and pouring for baptism, resort to 
this conversion to find authority for it; and their argu- 
ments are these : that it is not reasonable to suppose that 



162 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

the jailer would have enough water in his house at mid- 
night to immerse him and all his family in, and they con- 
clude from this that they were sprinkled or poured. But 
if they could prove that they were baptized in the house, 
still that they were baptized by affusion would be only 
conjecture, for it is known that many men in that coun- 
try had pools in their houses, for bathing purposes, that 
were sufficiently large to immerse in. The question to be 
settled is, were they baptized in the house at all ? To the 
law and to the testimony. Where were they at midnight? 
All will answer that they were in the inner prison. What 
did the jailer do with them first? Answer, "He came 
trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and 
brought them out." But, says one, an inner prison implies 
an outer one, and he only brought them out of the inner 
prison into the outer. Well, that does not matter. Where 
was the preaching done ? Answer, * ' And they spake unto 
him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his 
house." The preaching was done in his house. Whether 
that was called the outer prison or not does not matter. 
But, were they baptized in his house? Answer, ''And 
he took them the same hour of the night and washed their 
stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, straightway, and 
when he had brought them into his house, he set meat be- 
fore them." AVe see clearly from this, that they were not 
baptized in the house at all, but when he took them, he 
took them out of his house ; if he had not, he could not 
have brought them into his house after he was baptized. 
So, then, there is no authority in this conversion for 
sprinkling or pouring. But, I am aware that those who 
practice infant baptism go to this conversion to get au- 
thority for that. Their reasoning runs thus: that the 
whole family were baptized, and that it is reasonable to 
suppose that there were infants in the family, and, if so, 
that they were baptized. But, unfortunately for them, 
the record is against them, for all that were baptized, are 
represented as believing and rejoicing, which infants are in- 
capable of doing. So, there is no authority in this con- 
version for infant baptism. 

And now in conclusion, let me say, that if any are in- 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 163 

quiring to know what to do to be saved, I hope they will 
find in this sermon a full and satisfactory answer to the 
question, and like the jailer, be led to comply with the 
terms, that like him and his house, they may be led to re- 
joice, believing in God. 




»>-. ^- »-<e 



SERMON NO. V. 



THE GOSPEL. 



f i T^OR I am not ashamed of the gosjDel of Christ, for 
Y'y it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 

-*^ ^ that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the 
Greek."^ Rom. i : 16. 

In this sermon we propose to examine the gospel in 
its facts, commands and promises ; and its eftects on the 
hearts, lives, and state or relations of those who believe and 
obey it. And it is important in this investigation that we 
know what the word gospel means. 

Cruden in his Concordance, unabridged, says that the 
original word from which the word gospel is taken means 
good news or glad tidings ; and we are sure that this is 
the true meaning of the word ; and therefore wherever 
the word occurs in the New Testament it means good 
news of some kind. But we must always determine from 
the connection what kind of good news it is intended to 
represent in any place that the word is found. For ex- 
ample, Matt, iv: 23, we read, "And Jesus went about 
all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and preaching the 
gospel of the kingdom." 

What is the good news represented by the word gospel 
here? It here stands connected with the word kingdom, 
and shows that the Savior was preaching about the king- 
dom. What was being preached concerning the kingdom 
at that time? We read in Matt, iii: 1, 'In those days 
came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of 
Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven 
is at hand," and Matt, iv: 17, "From that time Jesus 
began to preach and to say repent, for the kingdom of 
heaven is at hand." And when Jesus sent out his disci- 
ples to preach under their first commission he said to 
(164) 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 165 

tliem " as ye go preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is 
at hand." Matt, x : 7. And when he sent out seventy to 
preach he said, "Say unto them the kingdom of God is 
come nigh unto you." Luke x: 9. From these passages 
we see that all the ministers were at that time proclaiming 
that the kingdom of God is at hand, is come nigh unto 
you, and this was undoubtedly the good news of the gospel 
of the kingdom. It was good news to the Jews to hear 
that the kingdom promised by the proj^hets was about to 
be established ; for they were expecting it, and looking for 
it and hence to them the proclamation that it was at hand 
was good news. But it would not have been such good 
news to the Gentiles who did not have the prophets and 
who were not looking for it, and so it was not preached to 
them ; but was confined to the Jews. 

The personal ministry of the Savior was to the Jews, 
and so was the preaching of John the Baptist. And when 
Christ sent out his apostles on their first mission he said to 
them, " Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any 
city of the Samaritans enter ye not , but go rather to the 
lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matt, x: 5. The 
mission of the seventy was to the Jews, for Christ " sent 
them two and two before his face ilito every city and 
place whither he himself would come." Lukex: 1. We 
have before seen that the personal mission of Christ was to 
the Jews ; therefore he only required the seventy to go to 
the cities of the Jews. And from this we see that the 
gospel of the kingdom was not the gospel for all the world, 
and so we must look at the gospel of Christ and see if it 
is for all the worLl. Mark xvi : 15, he said unto them, 
* ' Go ye into all the world and preach, the gospel to every 
creature." 

This is evidently the gospel of Christ ; for it is the gos- 
pel he commanded to be preached, and it is for all the 
world. And this is the gospel of which Paul says he is not 
ashamed and which he says is ' ' the power of God unto sal- 
vation." What then is the good news of the gospel ? 
The first item of good news is that Christ died for our 
sins according to the Scriptures ; and in his death he shed 
his blood for the remission of our sins and made it possible 



166 Sennons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

that our sins might be forgiven, and that we might be 
saved. And this is our only liope of salvation from sin, 
for under the gospel dispensation there is no other sacrifice 
for sin and no other blood that can cleanse from sin. The 
second item in the good news of the gospel of Christ, 
is that he was buried and that he rose again the third 
day according to the Scriptures. And in his resurrection 
he abolished death and brought life and immortality to 
light through the gospel. And the only hope that we 
have that we shall live again after we close our eyes in 
death, rests in the fact that Christ rose a mighty conqueror 
over death and the grave, and that he holds the keys of 
death, and of hades, and has power to open and no man 
can shut. The third item in the good news of the 
gospel of Christ is that he ascended up to heaven where he 
is gone to prej)are a place for all that love and serve him 
here. 

These three items contain the good news of the gospel of 
Christ ; and surely this is good news to all sinful men and 
women, that are interested upon the subject of salvation, 
to see that all is not lost , that there is yet hope notwith- 
standing they have sinned and brought condemnation 
upon themselves, tliat they may obtain the forgiveness of 
their sins, though they are doomed to die and go down to 
the grave. Yes, there is hope that they will be raised to 
die no more. And although this world which is their 
home while they live in the flesh is under the curse of 
God and must come to an end, there still is hope ; for God 
has promised a new heaven, and a new earth, so that in the 
good news of the gospel of Christ is found all that tlie 
heart of man can ask or desire. There is in it salvation 
from sin, salvation from the grave, and an everlasting 
salvation in an everlasting kingdom. 

The gospel is the means that God has appointed, and we 
say, the only means through which to save sinners, as we 
read 1 Cor. i: 21, "For after that in the wisdom of God 
the world by wisdom kne'w not God, it pleased God by 
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 
It was the gospel which the Savior commanded to be 
preached and there is no account of any sinner being 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 167 

saved without the gospel after Christianity was established. 
We therefore conclude that it is the only means appointed 
for the salvation of sinners. But some man will no doubt 
ask, is there power enough in the gospel to save sinners? 
Paul answers, it is the power of God ; and surely the pow- 
er of God can save. If it cannot there is no power that 
can. But it is asked how can there be so much power in 
[words ? we answer, because God has placed it there. He 
puts forth his power through the gospel in saving sinners, 
just as he put forth his power in words in creation. But 
the gospel must be believed before it will save, for it is the 
power of God unto salvation to every one that belie veth ; 
and it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save 
them that believe. The gospel has no power to save the 
unbeliever. So we see that sinners have an agency in 
their salvation. They are not, as many suppose, passive 
in their conversion while the Lord does all. But there is 
something for them to do. They must believe the gospel 
or they cannot be saved. But a man asks, is not faith a 
direct gift of God ? and if so, how van men exercise it ? 

We ask, where in the word of God is faith in the gospel 
said to be a direct gift of God ? the Savior prayed for all 
that should believe on him through the apostles' word* 
John xvii : 20. And John said these are written that ye 
might believe, xx: 31. Paul said, so then faith cometh 
by hearing and hearing by the word of God, Rom. x: 17. 
Luke says, howbeit many of them that heard the word 
believed, and the number of men was about five thousand. 
Acts iv : 4. So the facts to be believed are set forth in 
the word of God, and the people are required to believe 
them. But it will be asked, what do men and women 
believe, when they believe the gospel ? we answer, they 
believe that ''Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God." 
This is the first great fact to be believed. He is the only 
begotten Son of God ; partakes of the nature of God, and 
is therefore divine ; and this constitutes him greater than 
angels or men. And this gives power and importance to 
all his actions and all his words. It is this that gives 
power to his death, and efficacy to his blood t(5 cleanse 
from sin. Rivers of human blood might be shed, but it 



168 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 



could not atoue for one sin. And' in connection with this 
great fact, sinners must believe that he died for our sins, 
and was buried and rose again the third day; that he 
ascended to heaven, and that God has made him both 
Lord and Christ. These are facts that sinners must be- 
lieve in order to be saved. But some man will say that 
to believe all these facts does not constitute the faith of 
the gospel, the saving or justifying faith — that to believe 
all these facts is only to have a historic faith, and that it 
has nothing to do in salvation or justification. 

I have been hearing this kind of teaching all along my 
life, and I am satisfied that it is calculated to do as much 
harm and prevent as many honest men and women from 
obeying the gospel and being saved as any other teaching 
I ever heard. It causes them to wait and expect some 
wonderful power to be exerted on them which the Lord 
has not promised, and which they can never obtain, and 
thus they are deceived and kept from obedience, and from 
being saved. But let us examine and see whether to be- 
lieve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is the faith of the 
gospel, the saving faith or not. 

First, Jesus said, " God so loved the world that he gave 
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God 
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but 
that the world through him might be saved. He that be- 
lieveth on him is not condemned ; but he that believeth 
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in 
the name of the only begotten Son of God." John iii: 
16-19. Here those who believe on the Son of God have 
the promise of everlasting life, and they that believe on 
the Son are not condemned ; but they that believe not on 
the Son are condemned. This is certainly saving faith. 

But again, John said, "he that believeth on the 
Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not 
the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on 
him." John iii: 36. And again, the apostle John said, 
" whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten 
of God." 1 John v: 1. " For whatsoever is begotten of 
God overcometh the world ; and this is the victory that 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Sewell. 169 

overcometh the w orld, even our faith. And who is he 
that overcometh the world but he that believes that Jesus 
is the Son of God." Ke vised versiou, 4th and 5th verses. 

Here we see he that believes that Jesus is the Christ, is 
begotten of God, and he that believes that Jesus is the 
Son of God overcomes the world and surely this is enough 
to convince any rational mind that to believe that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God is the faith of the Gospel. But 
we promised to examine the facts, commands and promises 
of the gospel. We have already spoken of the facts in 
speaking of the good news of the gospel. And we are 
now ready to speak of the commands. And in the first 
place, how many commands of the gospel are there ? We 
find in the commission faith, repentance, and baptism, 
plainly expressed. In the record of the commission given 
by Matt, the Savior said, " go teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 
Holy Ghost." Matt, xxviii : 19. In the record given by 
Mark, the Savior said, Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature ; he that belie veth and 
is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall 
be damned." Mark xv: 15, 16. In the record of Luke, 
he said, "that repentance and remission of sms should be 
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Je- 
rusalem." Lukexxiv: 47. 

All these are required in the gospel, and are all pre- 
sented as commands in the New Testament. John said, 
"this is his commandment, that we should believe on the 
name of his Son Jesus Christ." 1 John iii : 23. Hence 
Paul said, " and the times of this ignorance God winked 
at ; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." 
Acts xvii : 30. So to repent is a command. Peter com- 
manded the Gentiles to be baptized in the name of the 
Lord. Acts x : 45. So the commands of the gospel 
to sinners are three. And confession is also taught by 
the Savior and the apostles in such a way as to show 
that it is of vast importance ; yes, so much so that the 
Savior said, " Whosoever shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess also before my Father which is in 
heaven ; but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will 



170 Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 

I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 
X : 32. From this we see that unless we confess him he 
will not confess us, and if he does not confess us, surely we 
cannot be saved, for he is the only Savior. And Paul said, 
** that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Je- 
sus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised 
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Eom. x: 9. 

Here to confess with the mouth is just as much a con- 
dition of salvation as to believe with the heart. John 
said, " Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of 
God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 1 John iv: 
15. And now from these, and many other passages 
equally plain, it is clear that if sinners never confess the 
Savior they cannot be saved. But confession is no where 
set down as a positive command ; yet it is an acknowledg- 
ment that they have obeyed one of the commands ; for 
they are commanded to believe on the Son of God, and 
the confession is an acknowledgment they have done this. 
For they are to confess with the mouth the same that they 
believe with the heart. So the confession cannot be dis- 
pensed with. 

• But we promised to speak of the effects of the gospel on 
the heart, life and state of such as believe and obey it, and 
we are now ready for that. First, what does the sinner 
need, what preparation or what changes are necessary to 
constitute him the character that the Lord promises to 
save ? All religious people known to me answer with one 
voice, that he must have a preparation or change of heart. 
This is certainly right, for God by the mouth of Jeremiah 
said, " The heart is deceitful above all things and desper- 
ately wicked; who can know it.' Jer. xvii: 9. And 
the Savior said, *'out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, 
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, 
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, 
pride, foolishness." Mark vii : 21. 

This shows conclusively that with such a heart as is here 
described the sinner cannot be saved. And in order to 
know how the heart is to be prepared, we must know what 
the heart is, as it is spoken of in the Bible. It cannot be 
the heart of flesh, for it is said that Absalom stole the 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 171 

hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Sam. xv : 6. And we know 
he coukl not steal their fleshly hearts. It only means that 
he stole their atfections. It is with the heart that men 
understand. Matt, xiii: 15. It is with the heart that 
men believe. Kom. x: 10. It is from the heart that 
thoughts proceed. Markvii: 21. 

From these and many other places in the Scriptures we 
learn that the word heart is used so as to embrace all the 
faculties of the mind. It is therefore the affections and 
purposes and desires that are to be influenced or changed 
through the gospel in order that sinners may be saved. 
But hoAV is the heart as described above to be reached and 
influenced ? We answer, by faith, by believing the gos- 
pel ; for it is with the heart that man believes. 

We would therefore conclude that if believing produces 
any effect or makes any impression, it would be on the 
heart ; and so we find it ; for when the gospel was 
preached in Jerusalem, and the people believed it, they 
were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of 
the apostles, men and brethren what shall we do ? there 
was a great change wrought in their hearts. Before they 
believed, they were the most inveterate enemies of Christ 
and his apostles. They had caused Christ to be crucified 
and after his resurrection we find the disciples in the 
house with the doors shut, for fear of them. But now 
they become their friends, and inquire of them what they 
must do to obtain the remission of their sins. Here was a 
true change of heart, and it was produced by believing the 
gospel. Their hearts were so humbled and subdued that 
they were willing to do anything that the apostles would 
tell tliem to do. And it was not only on this occasion that 
believing the gospel produced this effect, but everywhere, 
when the people believed the gospel, their hearts were so 
changed that they went and did wliat the apostles told 
them to do. So tlien the heart was changed and prepared 
for obedience by faith in the gospel. And when they be- 
lieved the gospel, they believed that Jesus Christ is the 
Son of God, and that he died for our sins, and was buried, 
and that he arose the third day, and that he ascended to 
heaven, and that God has made him both Lord and 



172 Sermons hg Jesse L. Sewall. 

Christ. We have now found how the heart was influenced 
or prepared to receive the remission of sins. But is a 
change of heart, all the change that the sinner needs in 
order that he may receive the remission of sins ? 

I know that religious teachers do not generally urge the 
necessity of any change only of the heart. But the Script- 
ures speak of the life and actions of men as being wicked, 
as we read: Rom. iii: 7-19, "For Ave have before proved 
both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin as it is 
written, there is none righteous, no not one. There is 
none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after 
God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together 
become unprofitable ; there is none that doeth good, no 
not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre : with their 
tongues they have used deceit : the poison of asps is under 
their lips ; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness ; 
their feet are swift to shed blood : destruction and misery 
are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not 
known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." And 
verse 23, "For all have sinned and come short of the 
glory of God." 

Here is a divine description of the life of a sinner, and 
surely while living such a life, the sinner cannot be saved. 
We can therefore see the necessity of a change of life as 
well as a change of heart. But how is the life to be 
changed ? we answer, by repentance, for it is for sin that 
we are required to repent ; and sin is the transgression of 
the law. 1 John iii: 3. And again, " For godly sorrow 
worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." 
2 Cor. vii: 10. 

When sinners are made truly sorry for their sins it 
causes them to forsake or turn away from their sins' We 
have an example of repentance from the men of Nineveh. 
Christ said, " The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment 
with this generation and shall condemn it, because they 
repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold a greater 
than Jonah is here." Matt, xii: 41. And in the 3rd 
chapter of Jonah we find the account of their repentance. 
The record says that Jonah preached and said, " Yet forty 
days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 173 

Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on 
sack cloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of 
them." When the people of Nineveh believed the preach- 
ing of Jonah, it humbled their hearts, called their affec- 
tions away from their sins, and produced such a sorrow for 
their sins that it caused every man of them to turn from 
his evil way. And when God saw their works that they 
turned from their evil Avay, God repented of the evil that 
he said he would do to them, and he did it not." 

The effect of their repentance was upon their lives. It 
caused them to turn from their evil way. Their faith 
changed their hearts from the love of sin, and their repent- 
ance changed their lives from the practice of sin, and thus 
prepared them in heart and life to receive the remission of 
their sins. And for this, God pardoned them, and spared 
the city. And no sinner can be pardoned without repent- 
ance, for Christ said, " except ye repent ye shall all like- 
wise perish." Luke xiii: 3. We have now found the 
necessity of a change of heart and life and how they are 
produced ; and now we ask, is any other change necessary 
in order to remission of sins ? I am aware that the most of 
the religious teachers of this age will answer, no : that a 
change of heart and life is certainly all that is necessary to 
salvation. But the Scriptures speak of the people as 
being under the power of Satan. 

Hence Paul was sent to the Gentiles to " turn them 
from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto 
God." Actsxxvi: 18. The unconverted are represented 
as being taken captive by the devil at his will. 2 Tim. ii: 
26. Satan is represented as having a kingdom. Matt, 
xii : 25. And certainly all that are under the power of 
Satan are in his kingdom. And we ask, will God save 
sinners while they remain in the kingdom of Satan ? No ; 
he has nowhere promised to do so. But he has established 
his kingdom on earth and requires that men and women 
shall come into it in order to be saved. And when sin- 
ners are " delivered from the power of darkness and trans- 
lated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, they have redemp- 
tion through his blood." This is a change of state or re- 
lationship. And they must have this change before they 



174 Sermons bg Jesse L. SewalL 



have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of 
sins. But how is the change of state effected ? we answer, 
by baptism ; for Paul asks, " Know ye not that so many of 
us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his 
death?" Rom. vi: 3. And again, '"For as many of you 
as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." 
Gal. iii: 27. And to be in Christ is to be in the church, 
for the church is the body of Christ. Eph. i : 22. And 
to be in the kingdom is to be in the church, for the church 
and the kingdom are the same. See Matt, xvi : 18. So 
then the state is changed when the penitent believer is 
baptized into Christ; and remission of sins is found in 
Christ. For we read in Col. i: 13, " Who hath delivered 
us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into 
the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemp- 
tion through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." 

The sinner cannot have remission of sins until baptized 
into Christ. Faith prepares them in heart to enter into 
Christ. But it does not introduce them there ; and re- 
pentance prepares them in life or character to enter into 
Christ, but does not introduce them there. Therefore 
faith and repentance do not secure the remission of sins, 
for that is found in Christ, and baptism is the only thing 
that is said to bring us into Christ. Hence baptism is de- 
clared to be, for the remission of sins. Not that baptism 
has any particular virtue in it to cleanse from sin ; but 
because it introduces into Christ where they have redemp- 
tion through his blood, and his ' ' blood cleanses from all 
sin." 1 John i: 7. 

We also promised to speak of the promises of the gospel. 
All that believe and obey the gospel have three promises. 
(1) The remission of sins ; (2) The gift of the Holy Spirit ; 
(3) Eternal life, on the condition that they seek for it by 
a patient continuance in well doing. For Peter said to 
believers in Jerusalem, " Repent and be baptized every 
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of 
sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 
It was to such as obeyed these commands that eternal life 
was promised if they held out faithful to the end. And 
now of what we have said, this is the sum : There are 



Seiinons by Jesse L. Sewdl, 175 

three facts that sinners are required to believe ; (1) That 
Christ died for sins ; (2) That he rose from the dead, and 
(3) that he ascended to heaven, and that by these three 
facts three salvations were provided. (1) Salvation from 
sin ; (2) Salvation from the grave ; and (3) an everlasting 
salvation. Also there are three commands that sinners 
must obey. (1) To believe ; (2) To repent ; (3) To be 
baptized. And that by obedience to these, three changes 
are produced: (1) A change of heart; (2) A change of 
life or action, and (3) A change of state. These intro- 
duce to three promises. (1) Remission of sins ; (2) The 
Holy Spirit, and (3) Eternal life. 

And more than this, in the Holy Scriptures we have re- 
vealed to us the three grand and awful names, of Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit; all co-operating in the glorious 
scheme of man's redemption. And to prepare the world 
for the full development of the glorious scheme of redemp- 
tion, w^e have three dispensations : (1) The patriarchal, 
which was a family government or order of worship ; (2) 
The law or Jewish dispensation, was a national government 
or order of worship, and (3) The Christian dispensation, 
which is a great universal government in order of worship, 
embracing the three divisions of the human race, Jews, 
Samaritans and Gentiles. And in order that sinful men 
and women may pass through all the stages of develop- 
ment and purification of which they are capable, and that 
they may reach the highest state of glory and felicity, God 
has provided three kingdoms. (1) The kingdom of na- 
ture ; (2) The kingdom of grace, and (3) The kingdom of 
glory, and has ordained three births by which to enter 
these three kingdoms, and without which they cannot enter 
them at all. (1) A birth of flesh by which they enter the 
kingdom of nature and into the enjoyment of all the tem- 
poral blessings of this life. (2) A birth of water and 
Spirit, by which they enter the kingdom of grace, and 
into the enjoyment of all the spiritual blessings of a new 
life. And (3) A birth from the grave, by which they ob- 
tain a spiritual body, and enter the kingdom of glory, and 
into the enjoyment of all the beatific and ecstatic blessings 
of eternal life. 



176 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 



And now kind reader, let me impress it upon your 
mind that in order to be saved from sin and Satan, that 
you must believe the facts of the gospel with the heart, 
and obey the commands from the heart, and trust the 
promises with a confiding faith. I am aware that religious 
teachers in this age, generally only urge the necessity of 
believing the gospel and not the importance of obeying it. 
But permit me to say that to fail to believe it will bring 
condemnation, or to fail to obey it will bring our damna- 
tion, for Christ said, " he that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
Markxvi: 16. And Paul said the Lord Jesus shall be 
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming 
fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and 
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ ; who shall 
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence 
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 2 Thess. i: 
10, Oh then reader, believe and obey and be saved. 




%h" 



SERMON NO. VI. 



THE HOLY SPIRIT. 



X I /HE work of the Holy Spirit is a very important sub- 
^1^ ject, and one that is less understood by many in 

-^ this age than almost any other subject connected 
with man's salvation, and one that needs much investiga- 
tion in the light of the Bible. The first mention of the 
Spirit in the Bible is Gen. i : 2, " And the earth was 
without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of 
the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters." 
From this we learn that the Spirit had something to do in 
the creation of the world. Indeed we learn from the Bi- 
ble that God the Father, the ^Yord or Son, and the Spirit 
all had something to do in creation. It was the part of 
the Father to originate, plan and direct all, and it was the 
part of the Word or Son, to execute all, and the part of 
the Spirit to give form, order and beauty to all. 

We learn from the first words of the Bible that God 
created the heavens and tlie earth. But we cannot learn 
from this whetlier he did it directly, or whether he did it 
through an agent. But from Isa. xxxii: 6, we learn by 
the Word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and verse 
9 that " he spake and it was done, he commanded, and it 
stood fast." And from John i : 1-15, we learn that the 
Word was with God in the beginning, and that all things 
were made by him ; and from verse 14 that the same Word 
was made flesh and dwelt among us. And after he was 
made flesh he was declared to be the Son of God ; and that 
God made the world by his Son. Heb. i : 2. And the Son 
is called Jesus Christ; and we learn from Eph. iii: 9, 
,, That God created all things by Jesus Christ." So the 
Son was the agent in creation, but it was the part of the 
12 (177) 



178 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU, 

Spirit to bring order out of confusion, give form to the 
earth which was without form, and beautify the heavens. 

Hence in Job xxvi: 13, we read: "By his Spirit he 
hath garnished the heavens." And as the Father, Son 
and Spirit all had part in creation, so they all have part in 
the glorious scheme of redemption, and it is this that w^e 
are most deeply interested in. In this also it was the part 
of the Father to originate and direct all, and the part of 
Son to execute all, and the part of the Holy Spu-it to 
reveal and apply all. The first mention we have of the 
Spirit having anything to do with man is found in Gen. 
vi: 3, "And the Lord said my Spirit shall not always 
strive with man." 

This was after man had become very wicked and the 
Spirit was doubtless striving with them through Noah, to 
turn them from their wicked ways, and bring them back 
to God ; and this is the first example we have of the way 
that the Spirit influences the people. But in order that 
we may fully understand the work of the Spirit in all its 
bearings, we must examine the miraculous manifestations 
of it, and its moral work or influence in converting or 
turning sinners to God, and its dweDing in the church and 
in the disciple of the Lord. 

The miraculous manifestations are first in order. By 
miraculous manifestations we mean such a measure of 
the Spirit as reveals the will of God to men, and imparts 
such power to them as enables them to show such signs, or 
perform such miracles as will convince the people that 
they were sent of God. It is said of Christ that "God 
giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him," and this 
strongly indicates that he gave it to others by measure. 
All the prophets, apostles and inspired men and sometimes 
wicked men w^ere the subjects of the miraculous powers of 
the Spirit and in such manifestations they had no agency 
or choice. Their receiving or not receiving them de- 
pended alone upon the will of God ; hence the blessing of 
God to them or their salvation did not depend on their 
receiving them. These miraculous powers were never 
given to men for their own personal benefit, but always for 
the benefit of others, and whenever God appeared to any 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seiuell. 179 

man for the purpose of appointing him to a certain work, 
that man could not resist it, even if he was not willing to 
do it. He never excused or let him off, but made him do 
the work. If he could have resisted it he would have been 
stronger than God. But these were things that did not 
involve their salvation. For example when God appeared 
to Moses to send him to Pharaoh, he made all the excuses 
that a man could make, but God did not accept them, but 
caused him to go. See Exodus third chapter. And 
when God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh, he deter- 
mined he would not go. But God made him willing to go 
and he did go. See Jonah first and second chapters. But 
when God sent his agents, his prophets or ministers to the 
people to tell them what they must do to obtain his bless- 
ings, or to obtain their salvation he always respected their 
agency, and did not propose to compel them ; but gave 
them a choice, and thus threw the responsibility on them, 
and made his blessing or their salvation depend on them- 
selves in their obedience to him. They could resist God's 
ministers, but they could not resist God himself And it 
is just so with the Spirit of God when he sends his Spirit 
directly to persons to induce them to do a certain work or 
prevent them from doing a certain work, they could not 
resist it, though they Avere not willing to do it. It com- 
pelled them, they had no agency in the matter. For ex- 
ample, Baalam was called to curse Israel and he desired to 
do it, that he might get a reward out of Balak. But the 
Spirit of God came upon him and prevented him from 
cursing them, and compelled him to bless them and pre- 
dict their success and happiness. See Numbers 24th 
chapter. And again, after David had been anointed by 
Samuel to be king of Israel after Saul ; when Saul sought 
to slay him, and David fled, and went to Samuel, and 
Saul sent men to take him, when they saw the company 
of the prophets, the Spirit of God came on them and they 
prophesied, and were thus prevented from taking David. 
And when Saul heard it he sent another company and the 
Spirit came on them, and they prophesied and could not 
take him. And Saul sent a third company and they 
prophesied also and could not take David. Then Saul 



180 Serniom by Jesse L. Sewell. 



went himself, thinking no doubt that he could take him. 
But before he reached Samuel, the Spirit came on him, 
and he prophesied all day and all night and could not 
take David. 

Here the Spirit came on a number of wicked men and 
as it were forcibly prevented them from taking David. 
See 1 Sam. xix chapter. Here we see that the Spirit in- 
fluenced and controlled these men, but it did not convert, 
or turn them to God. They continued in wickedness. 
Baalam, after this, taught Balak to cast a stumbling block 
before Israel and caused them to commit fornication, for 
which twenty-three thousand were slain in one day by a 
plague, and Saul continued his effort to destroy David as long 
as he lived. And in regard to what the Spirit caused these 
men to do or not to do, they had no agency or choice. 
Consequently their salvation or condemnation was not 
made to depend on that influence. But when God pur- 
posed to influence the people by his Spirit for their good, 
he always respected their agency. So when he sent Moses 
to deliver Israel he put an abundant measure of the Spirit 
upon him so as to qualify him to teach and govern the 
people and to perform miracles. Yet under his teaching 
the people had choice. He could only set life and death 
before them and call on them to choose. And this was al- 
ways so when the Spirit entered into some man and in- 
fluenced the people through him. But when the Spirit 
came directly upon or entered into a man for the accom- 
plishment of any object he always accomplished it, and 
the man could not prevent it. Thus all the prophets and 
apostles were the subjects of the miraculous manifestations 
of the Spirit. The Spirit came directly upon them. But 
the people were the subjects of his moral influence through 
their words or teaching. With these preliminaries before 
us, we are prepared to enter upon the investigation of the 
work of tbe Spirit in the conversion of sinners, under the 
gospel dispensation. 

In this age, there are two theories taught on this sub- 
ject, that differ so widely from each other that they can- 
not be reconciled and made to harmonize with each other. 
If one is right, the other is wrong. One theory is, that 



I 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 181 

the Spirit must be sent from the Lord directly to the sin- 
ner in order to his conversion, and that it must either 
enter the heart and work silently there, by moving on the 
feelings, passions and emotions of the heart, without words 
or by accompanying tho word of God home to the heart, 
and imparting life and power sufficient to convert them. 
And this theory teaches that the word of God is a dead 
letter only when thus accompanied. The other theory 
teaches that the Spirit puts his converting power forth in 
words addressed to the understanding of the sinner, point- 
ing out his lost and ruined condition, and making known 
to him the glorious plan of salvation and telling him what 
he must do to be saved, and in this way convert or turn 
him from sin and Satan to God. 

And now the question is, which of these theories is right, 
or is either of them right ? This is the question that we 
propose now to investigate. If the first theory is true, 
that the Spirit is sent directly to the sinner for the pur- 
pose of converting him, it will most surely convert him, 
for we have before shown that when the Spirit is sent to a 
man for the purpose of influencing him in any Avay, that 
he has no power to prevent it. Then if the sinner is con- 
verted in this way he has no agency in it. If sinners are 
converted in this way, their conversion depends wholly on 
the will of God. If the Spirit converts a man in this way 
he is entitled to no credit for it, for he had nothing to do 
in the matter. And if he is not converted, he cannot be 
blamed or punished, for he cannot control the Spirit and 
therefore has no power to procure his own conversion. 
This theory entirely takes away the agency of man and 
his accountability. For man cannot be accountable for 
that over which he has no control. We see what the con- 
sequences of the first theory are, if true, and so let us look 
at the second theory and see what its consequences 
are. The second theory represents the Spirit as speaking 
to the people and putting forth his power through words. 
But how does the Spirit speak to the people, directly or 
through an agent? We have no record of the Spirit ever 
having spoken directly to tlie masses of the people at any 
time. But we have it on record in many places in the 



182 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

Bible that he spoke by men. David said, " The Spirit of 
the Lord spake by me and his Avord was in my tongue," 
2 Sam. xxiii; 2; and Peter said, "Holy men of God 
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' 2 Pet. i: 
21. And it is said that the apostles " began to speak with 
other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 
ii : 4. So the Spirit always spoke to the people by men 
as his agents. We have already shown in this sermon that 
when the Spirit works through an agent he respects the 
agency of the people. But when he works directly he does 
not. So the second theory gives man an agency and 
makes him an accountable being. We see from what has 
now been said that both parties agree that the Spirit has 
something to do in the conversion of sinnsrs, but disagree 
as to how he performs that work. In order to ascertain 
which of these theories is true, we will have to examine the 
actual record of conversion in the New Testament. In 
order to be fully prepared for this, we must have before 
our minds the promise the Savior made to his dis- 
ciples, of the Spirit : John xiv : 15-18. The Lord said 
to his disciples, " If ye love me, keep my commandments, 
and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another 
Comforter, that he may abide Avith you forever ; even the 
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive." Again, 
verse 27th, " But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, 
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you 
all things, and bring all things to your remembrance Avhat- 
soever I have said unto you." Also xvi: 26, " But when 
the Comforter is come, whom I Avill send unto you from 
the Father, even the Spirit of truth, Avhich proeeedeth 
from the Father, he shall testify of me, and ye also shall 
bear witness because ye have been Avith me from the be- 
ginning." Also XVI : 7, "NcAwtheless I tell you the 
truth ; it is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go 
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I 
depart, I will send him unto you, and when he is come, he 
Avill reprove, (convince) the world of sin, and of righteous- 
ness, and of judgment; of sin, because they belie\^e not on 
me, of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you 
see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 183 



world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, 
but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the 
Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth : 
for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall 
hear that shall he speak, and he will show you things to 
come." 

In these promises there are some things that the Spirit 
was to do for the disciples, and some things that he was to 
do for the world. And it is very important that we should 
rightly distinguish between them. And I think any one 
who will look at them, can see at a glance that all here 
promised to be done by the Spirit was to be done for the 
disciples, only where the Savior said he shall convince the 
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. And 
he was to begin this work of convincing the world of sin 
when he was to come to the disciples, and not before. So 
we will go to the record of his coming to them in order to 
find how he convinced them. It is very important also 
that we keep before our minds just what he was to do for 
the world, that he was to give such testimony concerning 
Christ as would convince them that he is the Son of God, 
that they might believe on him, for the Savior clearly 
taught that none could be saved unless they believed on 
the Son of God. John iii : 18, "Tor God sent not his 
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the 
world through him might be saved. He that believeth on 
him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is con- 
demned already, because he hath noc believed on the 
name of the only begotten Son of God." The people 
would not believe until there was a sufficient amount of 
testimony presented to them to convince them that he is 
the Son of God, and this was precisely the thing that the 
Spirit was to do. We will now go to the record of his 
coming and see how he did it. 

We have this record in Acts ii : 1-5, * * And when the 
day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one 
accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound 
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all 
the house where they were sittina:, and there appeared 
unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each 



184 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

of tliem, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, aud 
began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them 
utterance." 

The apostles are at the right place, and endued with 
power from on high, fully authorized to commence preach- 
ing in the name of the Savior ; and the Spirit is here and 
ready to commence his work. And when this was noised 
abroad the multitude came togethi^r; this multitude did 
not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Did 
the Spirit convince them ? and if so, how ? The record 
says that they wer€ confounded, because they heard them 
speak every man in his own language, and that they were 
all amazed, and said, are not all these that speak Galile- 
ans, and how hear we every man in our own tongue 
wherein we were born ? There were men there from every 
nation under heaven. And as they could not see how 
these men could speak in all languages of the earth, some 
of them concluded that they were drunk ; so there was no 
one converted yet. 

Then Peter stood up with the eleven and lifted up his 
voice aud said, " you men of Judea and all ye that dwell 
at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my 
words ; for these are not drunken as ye suppose : * * * 
but this is that Avhich was spoken by the prophet Joel ; 
and it shall come to pass in the last days saith God that I 
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." 

Peter lets them know that this is not the eflect of drunk- 
enness, but that it is the fulfillment of the prophecy of 
Joel. But by what authority is Peter speaking? We 
read a little gone that they began to speak as the Spirit gave 
them utterance. Yes, the Spirit was here speaking by 
Peter, so the words that the people heard were the words 
of the Spirit, and all the influence exerted upon them by 
these words was the influence of the Spirit, and when 
Peter had quoted this prophecy and thus quelled the con- 
fusion among them, he called their attention to words 
again, saying, " ye men of Israel, hear these words ; " and 
here the Spirit began to present the testimony that was in- 
tended to convince them that Jesus is the Son of God. 
He presented his life, and miracles, his crucifixion, his 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell 185 

resurrection and his ascension to heaven, and that God 
had made him both Lord and Christ, and presented testi- 
mony from David, and the united testimony of all the 
apostles to prove that these things were true. 

There was evidence presented to the eyes and ears ; they 
could see the tongues like as of fire sitting on the apostles, 
and .they could hear them speaking in all languages of 
those present, and the apostles taught them that Christ 
liad shed forth what they now saw and heard. For the 
apostle said, "this Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all 
are witnesses : therefore being by the right hand of God 
exalted and having received of the Father the promise of 
the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye noAV see 
and hear." And the apostle closed the testimony by say- 
ing : " Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God 
hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both 
Lord and Christ." 

It was the object of the Spirit to convince the people 
that Jesus is the Son of God by proving that God had 
raised him from the dead and exalted him to his own right 
hand in heaven, and had made him both Lord and Christ. 
It was upon these that the whole matter turned, for the 
people knew that an impostor could not raise himself from 
the dead, and they knew that God would not raise an im- 
postor, and therefore if Jesus rose from the dead, God 
raised him, and if God raised him, he was the Son of God. 

We now have the fiicts and the testimony that the 
Spirit presented through the apostle before us. And did 
it convince any of that vast multitude that Jesus is the Son 
of God? Yes, it convinced many, for "when they heard' 
this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter 
and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall 
we do ? " Here was evidence so full and thorough that they 
were now convinced that God had made that same Jesus 
whom they crucified both Lord and Christ, and we see 
clearly from the record that the Spirit convinced them by 
presenting the testimony to their minds in words which 
they could understand ; for he spoke to them all in their 
own language, and there is no intimation in the record 
that there was any influence exerted upon them in any 



186 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

other way or by aoy thing else, only the words they heard. 
And if the Spirit did so present the testimony in words as 
to convince three thousand Jews in Jerusalem where our 
Savior was crucified, and only fifty days after he was cru- 
cified, is it not reasonable to conclude that he could pre- 
sent it anywhere else in the same way, so as to convince 
all who would hear and examine the testimony? And we 
find by examining the account of the many conversions 
under the preaching of the apostles and evangelists of 
Jesus Christ that they were all convinced by hearing the 
facts and the testimony presented to them in words ; and 
when we remember that all the apostles and evangelists 
spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance, we readily see 
that it was the Spirit that convinced them ; for he was the 
author of the words that were spoken, and indeed this is 
the only way that men and women can be made believers. 
*' Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
God." Kom. x: 17. And we read that when Peter 
preached at Solomon's porch that ' ' many of them that 
heard the word believed and the number of the men 
was about five thousand." Actsiv: 4. Yes, many that 
heard the ivord believed, hut no others. 

When Phillip went to the city of Samaria and preached 
Christ to them, they believed and were baptised both men 
and Avomen. Acts viii: 12. When Philip preached 
Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, he believed that Jesus Christ 
is the the Son of God, and was baptized and went on his way 
rejoicing. Acts viii : 37-39. Peter said it pleased God, 
that " the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of 
the gospel and believe." Actsxv: 7. And when Paul 
and Silas spake the word of the Lord to the jailer and his 
household, '*he was baptized the same hour of the night, 
and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." Acts 
xvi : 73, 74. And when Paul preached at Corinth many 
of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were bagtized. 
Acts xviii : 8. 

Thus we find many that believed when they heard the 
gospel ; but we do not read in all the book of God of even 
one that was made a believer in Jesus Christ by a direct 
operation of the Spirit on the heart without the word. 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewdl. 187 

And no one can ever be made a believer in that way as 
long as it is true that faith comes by hearing the word of 
God. AYe feel sure that the theory that the Spirit oper- 
ates directly without the word of God in the conversion of 
sinners is not taught in the word of God and that therefore 
it must have originated in the theories of uninspired men 
and is well calculated to deceive the people. 

Were it not for some other things that men have re- 
sorted to in order to sustain their theory of the direct oper- 
ation of the Spirit, we might rest the matter here. But I 
remember when in discussion with a man on this subject, 
that after I had presented in substance the arguments that 
I have now presented, he said that he could admit all that 
I had said, and still believe that the Spirit operates di- 
rectly in this age of the world. For, said he, I can very 
readily see how the Spirit could operate through the word 
in the days of miracles when all the ministers were speak- 
ing as the Spirit gave them utterance, but, said he, the 
days of miracles are gone, and there are no ministers now 
speaking as the Spirt gives them utterance ; and I cannot 
see how the Spirit can operate in that way now. So he 
still maintained that the Spirit operated directly in this 
age, and challenged me to show how the Spirit could now 
operate through the word. 

In answer to this argument, I showed that the Bible now 
stands iu the place of all that these inspired men spoke to 
the people in the days of miracles; that it was the words 
that they spoke that influenced the people and not the 
miracles that they performed. The miracles only con- 
firmed the word, and since the word has been con- 
confirmed and proved to be true, and the testimony 
has been recorded, we do not need miracles now. 
The Avord is all that we need, f(>r it contains all things 
that pertain to life and godliness. The holy Scriptures are 
able to make us wise unto salvation. 

The word of God is able to save our souls, and to make 
us perfect and thoroughly furnish us unto all good works. 
And the words of the Spirit when written iu the Bible are 
no less the words of the Spirit than they were when spoken 
by the inspired apostles. The Spirit guided them just as 



188 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

much in writing as in speaking, and so what they wrote is 
the inspiration of God ; and the Spirit can put forth his 
converting power as easily through words when written in 
the Bible, as when spoken by inspired men. And when 
the word of God is preached in its purity by unins23ired 
men, the Spirit can and does as certainly influence the 
people through it as it did when it was spoken by inspired 
men. For it is just as true that faith comes by hearing 
the word of God now, as it was then, and as no sinner was 
converted then until he heard the word of God, and be- 
lieved and obeyed it, so no sinners can be converted and 
saved now until they hear the word of God and believe 
and obey it. But I am aware that there are many 
who claim that their experience proves to them that 
the Spirit did come directly to them at a certain time, and 
move upon their hearts silently, and awaken them to a 
sense of their lost and ruined condition, and produced a 
deep conviction of sorrow for sin. And they say they 
remember the very time and place that this occurred, 
and they as honestly l)elieve that it was an immediate op- 
eration of the Spirit without and independent of the word 
of God, as they can possibly believe anything. And it is 
not strange that they should so believe, for they have been 
taught that the word of God is a dead letter and that they 
must have just such an o2)eration as this before they can be 
converted. But some one will ask, can you account for 
such an experience in any way only that it was a direct 
operation of the Spirit ? I think I can ; for all persons 
having such an experience as that had previously learned 
from the Bible or had been taught by some one that there 
is a God, and that they have sinned against him, and are 
under condemnation, and have also been taught that unless 
they repent and turn to God they must be lost forever. 
All the preachers teach this; and when they have been 
taught this, the good seed which is the word of God has 
been sown in their hearts. 

Then there are many things that will impress upon them 
the importance of seeking salvation. The death of a 
friend, or the prospect of their own death, or a revival of 
religion, when they see others seeking for salvation, or 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 189 

anythiDg that will cause them to think seriously of death 
and judgment and vast eternity, may produce just such an 
experience as the above. And this is only awakening the 
life principle of the good seed that had been previously 
sown in their hearts, and causing it to germinate, and 
spring up. And this is the Spirit influencing them 
through the word of God. But if they had never heard 
the word of God, they would not have had this experience. 
They have been so taught that they are attributing the 
effect produced upon their heart by the word of God, to an 
immediate operation of the Holy Spirit. And we regard 
this teaching that the word of God is a dead letter and 
that there must be an immediate operation of the Spirit 
before the sinner can be converted as a very dangerous 
doctrine. It causes the people to lose all confidence in the 
w^ord of God, and prevents them from making any effort 
to seek salvation and causes them to sit down and wait for 
an operation that the Lord has never promised. And if the 
Lord was to send the Sj^irit to some and convert them in 
that way and did not send it to all tlien he would be a re- 
specter of persons. But his word declares he is no re- 
specter of persons, but that in every nation he that feareth 
him and worketh righteousness is accei)ted of him. Acts 
X : 34-35. So then we are sure that the word of God, the 
gospel of Christ is the means that God ordained for the 
salvation of sinners, and that whoever will believe its facts, 
obey its commands and trust its promises, will be as cer- 
tainly saved as that God cannot lie. But all that refuse, 
or neglect to l)elieve and obey it, resist the counsel of God 
against themselves. Yea, all who resist the word of God or 
the gospel of Clirist resist the Holy Spirit. For the " word 
of God is the sword of the Spirit." 

The Spirit revealed it to the apostles, and through them 
to us. Thus the Spirit through them has made the last 
offer of salvation to fallen men and women that has been 
or ever will be made. And to resist ic is to reject the only 
chance of salvation. Yea, it is to sin against the Holy 
Ghost. 

When we sin against God, we transgress his law, for 
''sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John iii: 4. And 



190 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

the Spirit has given a law. For Paul said, * ' The law of 
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from 
the law of sin and death." Rom. viii: 2. We see then 
that it is the law of the Spirit that makes free from sin 
and not the Spirit himself; and to refuse to obey the law 
of the Spirit is to sin against the Spirit, as certainly as to 
reject the law of God is to sin against him. 

Be careful then, dear reader, to believe all the facts set 
forth in the law of the Spirit which is the word of God, 
and obey all the commands, and trust all the promises, and 
it would be easier for heaven and earth to pass away than 
for you to fail to be saved at last. Such is my faith in the 
promisee of God. 




..^1<=^.,.^=>P^ 



SERMON NO. VII. 



THE NAME OF CHRIST. 

^ ■ TJTOR there is none other name under heaven given 
H^ among men whereby we must be saved. " Acts 
^ iv : 12. From this declaration salvation is insep- 
arably connected with the name of Christ, and we wish in 
this sermon to ascertain how persons are saved in this 
name. And it will be necessary in the first place to 
find when people were first saved in that name. 

I suppose no one will argue that any one was saved in 
the name of Christ before he came into the world. And 
after he came, he said, he came in his Father's name. 
John v: 43, "I am come in my Father's name, and ye 
receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, 
him will ye receive." All that he did during his per- 
sonal mission, until his crucifixion, he did in his Father's 
name. He said, John v : 30, *' I can of mine own self do 
nothing: as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, be- 
cause I seek not mine own will but the will of my Father 
which hath sent me." Verse 19, "Verily, verily, I say 
unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself but what he 
seeth the Father do." And again, he says, John xvii: 8, 
" For I have given unto them the words which thou gav- 
est me, and they have received them." 

Thus we see that all that he said and all that he did, he 
received from his Father ; there are but two passages in 
the New Testament that speak of anything being done in 
his name before his death. Luke x; 17, "And the sev- 
enty returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the dev- 
ils are subject unto us through thy name." And again, 
Mark ix: 38, "And John answered him saying, Master, 
we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he follow- 

(191) 



192 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

eth not us, and we forbade hiia because he followeth not 
us." But there is no record that the Savior commanded 
them to do this. But if he did, they were not saved from 
sin. There was much jDreaching done during the lifetime of 
our Savior, l)ut none of it was done in his name. John the 
Baptist preached and baptized, but not in the name of 
Christ ; and although he sent his disciples and the seventy 
to preach, and told them what to preach, he did not tell 
them to preach in his name, for all that he did then he 
did in his Father's name. Although he taught his disci- 
ples to pray, and gave them a form of prayer, he did not 
teach them to pray in his name, but taught them to say, 
" Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." 
Matt, vi: 9. 

But when he began to teach them what they must do 
after he went away from them, he then taught them to 
pray in his name. Johnxvi; 23, ''And in that day ye 
.shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you 
whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will 
give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my 
name, ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." 
From this we see that he did not require them to do any- 
thing in his name until he went away from them. To do 
anything in the name of another, is to do it by his authority, 
and to do it as he has directed it to be done. Things were 
done in the name of kings and of men of authority who had 
the authority to give law, and the power to execute law. 
Christ was not crowued king on earth, and as he claimed 
no power, only what he received from the Father, there- 
fore no one was saved in his name before he ascended to 
heaven, for though he did forgive sins while on earth, he 
did it by the power that he received from his Father. For 
he said the Son could do nothing of himself. He did say 
to a man sick of the palsy, " Son, be of good cheer, thy 
sins be forgiven thee." Matt, ix : 2 ; and he did say to a 
woman, "This woman's sins, which are many, are all for- 
given her." Luke vii: 47. But he did not do this in his 
own name. 

From this investigation, I think it is clear that no one was 
saved from his sins in the name of Christ before his death. 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 193 

But it is equally clear that persons were to be saved after- 
wards in or by his name. ' ' For there is none other name 
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." 
But as no one was saved in his name before his death, we 
must come to the things done after his death and resurrec- 
tion, and see if we can find where and when anyone was 
saved in his name. After he arose from the dead, he ap- 
peared to his disciples, and said unto them, ''all power 
(authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth." 
Matt, xxviii : 18. By virtue of that authority he com- 
manded his disciples to ''go and teach all nations, baptiz- 
ing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Spirit." But this sets forth the relationship 
to these names into which baptism would introduce them, 
and while this embraces salvation in the name or by the 
authority of Christ, it does not clearly express it. 

Mark xvi: 15, "And he said unto them go ye into all 
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature : he 
that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that 
believeth not shall be damned." While this embraces sal- 
vation from sin in the name of Christ it does not clearly 
express it. Luke xxiv: 46, " Thus it is written, and 
thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from 
the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission 
of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, 
beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these 
things. And behold I send the promise of my Father 
upon you ; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye 
be endued with power from on high." Here we have it 
clearly expressed that repentance and remission of sins 
were to be preached in the name of Christ among all na- 
tions beginning at Jerusalem. 

From this we learn where it was to begin ; and the time 
for it to begin is when the apostles were endued with 
power from on high. But how were they to be endued 
with power, what were they to receive? Acts i: 8, " But 
ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you." When did the Holy Ghost come on them ? 
Acts ii: 1, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully 
come, they were all with one accord in one place. And 



194 Semions by Jesse L. Sewell. 

suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing, 
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were 
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, 
like as of fire, and it sat on each of them. And they were 
all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with 
other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Now 
they are endued with power from on high, and are ready 
to begin to preach in the name of Christ. But it is evi- 
dent that the name of Christ alone will not save anyone ; 
but in order that people may be saved in that name, they 
must be brought into connection with it, so that remission of 
sins must come to them through that name. And we want 
to know how that is done. As the apostles are now en- 
dued with power from on high, and are at Jerusalem Avhere 
it was to begin, we will look and see how they preached it, 
and what they required the people to do. We will now 
go to the second chapter of Acts, and by examining it, we 
find that the first thing they did after showing that this 
outpouring of the Spirit was the fulfillment of tbe proph- 
ecy of Joel, was to preach the facts concerning Christ ; 
his miracles, his death, his resurrection and his ascension 
to heaven, and that God had made him both Lord and 
Christ. 

But why did they do this? First, because these are the 
facts that all must believe before they can receive the re- 
mission of sins through his name. For Christ said, "He 
that belie veth on him is not condemned, but he that be- 
lieveth not is condemned already, because he hath not 
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 
John iii: 18. From this we see that all must believe on 
the Son before salvation is possible to them. And the 
apostles knowing this, preached these facts first, that tlie 
people might believe them, in order that they might re- 
ceive remission of sins through his name. These facts 
being now preached and sustained by testimony, many of 
the people believed them, and were pierced to the heart, 
and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and 
brethren what shall we do ? Then Peter said unto them, 
*' re})ent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of 
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 195 

the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2: 38. This is the 
way the apostles preached remission of sins, in the name of 
Jesus Christ. And as they were speaking as the Spirit 
gave them utterance, surely they preached it right. And 
as this is the first time that remission of sins was ever 
preached in the name of Christ, it is very important that 
we should understand it, for the same that was to be 
preached here was to be preached among all nations. As 
this is the first time that anyone was commanded to be 
baptized in the name of Christ, it is very important that 
we should know j ust what it is for. 

It is a rule observed by all good writers in writing a 
book, when they introduce an important sentence into that 
book the first time, which they expect to use frequently, 
and one that they wish to be well understood, they always 
define it, tell in what tense they use it ; let it be found as 
often as it may, it is to be understood as the author defined 
it when he first introduced it into the book. And as this 
is the first time that anyone was ever commanded to be 
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the apostle has told 
us plainly what it is for, so that wdien anyone is said to be 
baptized in the name of Christ we know what it is for — 
that it is for the remission of sins. We have now found 
just how persons are saved in the name of Christ. And 
as there is none other name under heaven in which we can 
be saved, this is the only way that we can be saved under 
the gos2)el dispensation. But I am aware that many deny 
this, and some even take the position that the Jews were 
required to be baptized for the remission of sins that they 
committed in crucifying the Savior and that Saul had to 
be baptized to wash away the sins he had committed in 
persecuting the church ; but that no Samaritan or Gentile 
was ever required to be baptized for the remission of sins. 
This position was taken by a minister with whom I had a 
discussion in the town of Alexandria, and he challenged 
me to show where any Samaritan or Gentile was ever re- 
quired to be baptized for the remission of sins. 

Now let us see whether this argument can be met or 
not. The first account of the gospel being preached to the 
Samaritans is Acts viii: 5. *' Then Phillip went down to 



196 Sermons by Jessn L. SewelL 

the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them." And 
verse 12 says, *' Bat when they believed Phillip preaching 
the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name 
of Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.' But 
says an objector, this does not say they were baptized for 
the remission of sins. True, this just states the fact that 
they were baptized, but does not say what they were bap- 
tized for. Then we must look a little further — verses 14- 
16, "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem 
heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they 
sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were 
come down, prayed for them that they might receive the 
Holy Ghost. For as yet he was fallen on none of them, 
only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." 
Now what is baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus for ? 
Peter defined it when he first commanded it, and it was 
for the remission of sins, and this settles this question and 
shows clearly that the Samaritans were baptized for the 
remission of sins. But were the Gentiles baptized for the 
remission of sins ? The gospel was first preached to the 
Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, and when Peter had 
preached the facts concerning Christ as he did at Jerusa- 
lem, he added, "To him give all the prophets witness 
that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall 
receive remission of sins." Actsx: 43. Here remission of 
sins is connected with the name of Christ by the testimony 
of all the prophets. 

At this point in Peter's sermon the Holy Ghost fell on 
all that heard the word ; after which Peter said, " Can any 
man forbid water, that these should not be baptized which 
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we ? And 
he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the 
Lord." Now, what is this baptism in the name of 
theLord for? Peter, who had the keys of the king- 
dom, and power to bind on earth and in heaven, says it 
is for the remission of sins. And this forever settles the 
question that the Gentiles were baptized for the re- 
mission of sins. And so all in the New Testament that 
are said to have been baptized in the name of Christ, 
were baptized for the remission of sins. But I am 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 197 

aware that very many teach that siuuers are justified and 
pardoned by faith only ; that all the sinner is required to 
do in order to receiye remission of sins is to belieye in 
Jesus Christ. But we thiok that this is certainly a mis- 
take, and so think because it plainly contradicts the word 
of God. James ii: 24, " Ye see then how that by works 
a man is justified and not by fiiith only." But it is clear 
that sinners must belieye or they cannot be sayed. " For 
without faith it is impossible to please God ; and he that 
belie yeth not shall be damned." And yet it is clear that 
they are not sayed by faith alone. But faith places salya- 
tion within their reach — makes salyation possible to them. 
But salyation must come through or by the name of Christ ; 
" for there is none other name under heayen giyen among 
men whereby we must be sayed." 

Let us examine a few passages that will show us clearly 
the part that faith performs in salyation. John i : 11, 
"He came unto his own and his own receiyed him not. 
Bat as many as receiyed him to them gave he power to 
become the sons of God, eyen to them that belieye on his 
name." This teaches that belieying on his name did not 
make them sons of God, but gaye the power (right, or 
priyilage) to become the sons of God, and they must be 
sons before they can be heirs of God. And again, John 
XX : 30, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the 
presence of his disciples which are not written in his Book. 
But these are written that ye might belieye that Jesus is 
the Christ the Son of God, and that blieying ye might 
haye life through his name." This teaches that belieying 
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God does not giye that life, 
but it places it in our power to obtain that life through his 
name after we belieye. And this passage shows clearly 
what must be belieyed ; that all must belieye that Jesus is 
the Christ, the Son of God, before they can haye life 
through his name. And again. Acts x': 43, "To him 
gaye all the prophets witness that through his name who- 
soeyer belieyeth in him shall receive remission of sins." 
This shows that remission comes through the name of 
Christ, but that in order to receive remission through his 
name one must first believe in him. 



198 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

Now, while all these passages show clearly the absolute 
necessity of believiDg in Christ in order to be saved, they 
show that believing alone does not save them ; that it only 
places it within their power to obtain salvatiou through 
his name. But the apostle here only states the fact that 
all the pro2)hets have borne witness that remission of sins 
comes through the name of Christ, but does not tell us 
how they gave this testimony — that is, in what words they 
bore their testimony. Hence it is important that we 
should know this, it can be learned. Therefore let us 
look about a little and see ; w^e will look at the 15th chap- 
ter of Acts, in which we find that after the gospel had 
been preached among the Gentiles, and many of them had 
received it, that some Mse teachers went down from Judea 
to Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, and taught the disciples 
among the Gentiles that except they were circumcised and 
kej)t the law of Moses, they could not be saved. Paul and 
Barnabas, therefore, and others were sent up to Jerusalem 
about this question, and the apostles and elders came to- 
gether to consider of it, and after there had been much 
disputing, Peter rose up and said, ''Men and brethren, ye 
know how that a good while ago God made choice among 
us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word 
of the gospel, and believe. And God which knoweth 
the hearts bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost 
even as he did unto us, and put no difference between us 
and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Acts xv: 7- 
10. And after this James answered, " Men and brethren, 
hearken unto me. Simon hath declared how God at the 
first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for 
his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets, 
as it is written: after this I will return again and will 
build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen down, 
and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it 
up : that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, 
and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, sailh 
the Lord." 

From this we learn what the testimony of the prophet 
is. They testified that all the Gentiles upon whom the 
name of Christ is called shall receive remission of sins 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 199 

through his name. But when, or in what institution, is 
the name of Christ called on persons? Answer, "Go ye 
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them into the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Ghost." Matt, xxviii: 19. And again, "Repent and be 
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Ghost. Acts ii : 38. The name of the Lord is not 
called on persons in anything but baptism ; and this settles 
.the question when and how persons are saved through and 
by the name of Christ. And to sum up all the sinner is 
required to do, the preachers are required to preach in the 
name of Christ and the sinner is required to believe in or 
on the name of Christ, and to repent in his name, to confess 
his name, and to be baptized into his name. All these are 
done for, in order to, the remission of sins. If they leave 
out any of these they are not entitled to the promise of 
remission of sins. But when they have complied with all 
these they are represented by the apostles as being deliv- 
ered from the power of darkness, and translated into the 
kingdom of God's dear Son, in whom they have redemp- 
tion through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And 
then, as disciples of Christ, they are required to do all 
that they do in the name of Christ as long as they live on 
earth, in order that they may be prepared for the ever- 
lasting salvation in the world to come* For we read : 
Col. iii : 17, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed do 
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God 
and the Father by him." Christians, therefore, should 
never do auything that the Savior has not authorized. 

And let me say in conclusion, that to call the name of 
one person upon another is equivalent to giving them that 
name and requiring that they should be called or known 
by that name. How many hundreds of parents in the 
United States have called the name of George Washington 
upon their sons, and they were ever after called by that 
name, and were proud of such a name. And so I would 
argue that all that have the name of Christ called upon 
them in baptism, should ever after be called by that name, 
and rejoice that they are counted worthy to be called by 



200 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

such a glorious name. Tliey should never acknowledge 
any other name. Men have always been willing to be 
called after great and good men ; and we ask, is not the 
name of Christ great and good enough for us to be will- 
ing to be called by it? Eph. i: 19-23. Paul, in speak- 
ing of the resurrection of Christ, says that ' ' God raised him 
from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly 
places, far above all principality and power and might and 
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this 
world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all 
things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things 
to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that 
fiUeth all in all." And again, Phil, ii: 9, " Wherefore God 
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which 
is above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every 
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, 
and things under the earth, and that every tongue should 
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the 
Father." From these Scriptures we see that Christ is ex- 
alted not just a little above all principality and power, but 
far above them all ; and that his name is far above not 
only the highest names in this world, but also in the world 
to come. And God has ordained that every knee shall 
bow at that name, Surely then the name of Christ is 
good and great enough for us to be called by, and the dis- 
ciples were not ashamed of his name in the days of the 
apostles. But they rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer 
shame for his name; and they would die before they 
would deny his name. Kev. ii: 13, '* I know thy works, 
and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is, and 
thou boldest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, 
even in those days w^herein Antipas was my faithful mar- 
tyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." 
See Rev. iii: 8, "I know thy works; behold I have set 
before thee an open door, and no man shut it. For thou 
hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and hast not 
denied my name." From these we see that some of the 
noblest traits of character attributed to the churches in 
Asia w^ere that they in the severest persecutions and even 
death, had not denied his name. But strange to say, 



Serjnons by Jesse L, Sewell. 201 

many iu this age that claim to be the disciples of Christ 
prefer to be called by some other uame than his. The 
name of some man, or an ordinance, or some method, or 
form of church government devised by uninspired men, 
and thus refuse to be called by that name which is above 
every name, and the only uame under heaven given 
among men whereby we must be saved. Now, dear 
reader, if you have never bowed to that name, nor 
repented in that name, nor confessed that name, nor been 
baptized into that name for the remission of sins, let me ex- 
hort you by all that is dear to you for time and eternity, to 
begin the important work at once ; for you are endanger- 
ing your all every day that you put it off. And if you do 
not bow to that name and take it upon you while you can 
be saved by it, you will be compelled to do it in the judg- 
ment, when it is too late to be saved by it. And then you 
must hear the aAvful sentence, depart from me ye cursed 
into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 




,>e^"°^i:^^. 



SERMON No. VIII. 



(gj^C© 



IN CHRIST. 

'HEREFORE if any man be in Christ, lie is a new 
creature ; old things are passed away, behold all 
things have become new." 2 Cor. v: 17. 
The word if always introduces a conditional sentence, 
always implies a condition, or contingency in which one 
thing is made to depend on another. In the above verse, 
being a new creature, is made to dej^end on being in 
Christ, showing that no one out of Christ is a new creat- 
ure ; and that old things do not j^ass away, and that all 
things do not become new until people are in Christ. But 
it will be asked, is being in Christ necessary to salvation ? 
Let us see. We read Rom viii : 1, ''There is therefore 
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, 
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." This 
verse shows that in order to be free from condemnation, 
one must be in Christ ; therefore all that are out of Christ 
are under condemnation, and, as salvation consists in de- 
livering one from condemnation, the sinner cannot be 
saved out of Christ. Again, Eph. i: 7, "In whom we 
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of his grace." And again. Col. i : 
12-25, " Giving thanks to the Father which hath made us 
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in 
light. AVho hath delivered us from the power of darkness, 
and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 
in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the 
forgiveness of sins." From these passages we learn that 
remission of sins is found in Christ, and that therefore no 
remission is found out of Christ. Again, Eph. i: 3, 

(202) 



Semums by Jesse L. Sewell. 203 

"Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in 
heavenly places in Christ." And verses 13, 14, " In whom 
ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the 
gospel of your salvation: in w^hom, after that ye believed, 
ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is 
the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the 
purchased possession unto the praise of his glory." From 
the above Scriptures we learn that all spiritual blessings 
are enjoyed in Christ, and that it is in Christ that persons 
are sealed, and enjoy the earnest of their eternal inherit- 
ance, and that therefore none of these can be enjoyed out 
of Christ. 

But again, John xv: 7,- " Ye abide in me, and my words 
abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done 
unto you." In order that prayer be heard and answered, 
one must enter into Christ, and abide there ; therefore the 
prayers of those who remain out of Christ will not be heard 
and answered. Furthermore, in order to be prepared for 
death, one must be in Christ, and live there. Rev. xiv: 13, 
" And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, write, 
blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence- 
forth ; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their 
labors ; and their works do follow them." Here there is a 
blessing and rest promised to the dead which die in 
the Lord, but none to the dead which die out of the 
Lord. And still further, in order to a happy resurrec- 
tion, one must be of the dead that are in Christ. 1 Thess. 
iv: 17, '' For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven 
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, -^and with 
the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 
Then we, which are alive and remain, shall ^e caught up 
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the 
air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 

From what has been presented we learn that in order to 
be a new creature, one must be in Christ; and that to be 
free from condemnation, one must be in Christ: also to 
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
one must be in Christ ; and in order to enjoy all spiritual 
blessings and be sealed with the Holy Spirit, one must be 



204 Sernwtis by Jesse L, SeicelL 

in Christ; and in order that prayer be heard and an- 
swered, one must be in Christ ; and in order to have a 
blessing and rest at death, one must be in Christ ; and in 
order to be caught up in the clouds at the resurrection, 
and be forever with the Lord, one must be of the dead 
that are in Christ. Thus we see clearly that there is 
no salvation out of Christ : and this fact is further con- 
firmed by the language of Peter, when he said of Christ, 
' ' This is the stone which was set at naught of you build- 
ers, which is become the head of the comer; neither is 
there salvation in any other. For there is none other 
name under heaven given among men whereby we must 
saved." Acts iv: 11, 12. Hence, whatever the phrase 
"in Christ" may mean, a person must be there in order to 
be saved. But what does the phrase "in Christ" mean? 
That it is a figurative exj^ression I think clear, and does 
not mean literally in the person of Chri?t. But that it 
means some near and intimate relationship to him, I think 
is also clear. The spirit of man is spoken of as being in 
him, that is, in his body. 1 Cor. ii: 11, " For what man 
knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which 
is in him." And if there is anything in the Scriptures 
that is called the body of Christ, and in which his Spirit or 
the Spirit of God dwells, then, to be in that body 
is to be in Christ. Is there anvthins: that is called 
the body of Christ? If so, what is it? Eph. i: 22, 
' ' And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to 
be head over all things to the chiu'ch, which is his bodv, 
the fuUness of him that fiUeth all in all." Col. i: 18, 
** And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the 
beginning, the fii'st born from the dead." And verse 24, 
" AMio now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up 
that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, 
for his bodA-'s sake, which is the church." Here we have 
three plain declarations that the church is "the bodv of 
Christ." 

And Paul wi'iting to the Corinthians calls them the 
church of God. 1 Cor. i : 2. And in the 12th chapter 
and 27th verse, he says, " Xow ye are the body of Christ, 
and members in particular." These passages settle the 



Sermons by Jes-ie L. Sewell. 205 

question that the church is the body of Christ, and to be 
in the church is to be in Christ. But does the iSpii-it dwell 
in the church ? I Cor. iii : 16, ' ' Know ye not that ye are 
the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in 
you ? " Here he calls the church of God the temple of 
God, and says the Spirit dwells in it. Hence, to be in 
Christ i^ to be in the kingdom of God, is to be in the 
kingdom of his dear Son ; is to be in the church of God, 
in the temple of God, in the body of Christ. And being 
in the church, he is a new creature, is free from condem- 
nation, has redemj^tion through the blood of Christ, the 
forgiveness of sins : is blessed with all spii'itual blessings, 
ds sealed with the Holy Spirit, eujoys the earnest of his 
inheritance ; his prayers are heard and answered ; and 
if he abides in the church, he will die in the Lord, and 
rest from his labors, and in the resurrection will be raised 
Tvith the dead in Christ, and will be forever with the Lord. 
But some man will doubtless ask, does not this attach 
too much importance to membership in the church ? and 
will say that he has heard great and good men say that it 
is not absolutely necessary for a person to be in the church 
in order to be saved, but that they can be saved out of the 
church as well as in it. I have heard all this too, but not from 
inspired men ; and it may be true that salvation is not in 
those organizations called churches, which uninspired men 
have gotten up. But inspired men have taught clearly 
that salvation is in the church of God, and nowhere else. 
And as it is true that salvation is in Christ, and in none 
else, it is important that we know how persons get into 
Christ. "We find that sinful men and women are repre- 
sented in the word of the Lord, as being away from him 
in some sense, and the Lord so represents them when he 
says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest ; take my yoke upon you 
and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye 
shall find rest unto your souls." Matt, ix: 28. Again, 
Christ said to the Jews, "Ye will not come to me that ye 
might have life." John v : 40. These passages show that 
sinners are away from Christ, and must come unto him in 
order to have rest and have life. 



206 Sermons bg Jesse L. Sewcdl. 

The apostle also said of the Ephesians before they had 
believed and obeyed the gospel, ' ' that at that time ye were 
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of 
Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise ; hav- 
ing no hope, and without God in the world." Eph. ii: 12. 
From these we learn in what sense sinners are away from 
the Savior ; that they are without Christ, that is they have 
no interest in him, and are strangers to the covenants of 
promise, aliens to God's government, and have no rights 
or privileges in it. They have no claims on God, either 
for salvation or protection. So they are invited by the 
Savior to come unto him and take his yoke, that is, his 
government; and he promises that they shall find rest 
unto their souls. But how do they come to him, and how 
do they take his government upon them, which is the same 
as to enter into Christ ? In order to learn this, we will 
have to learn what Christ requires sinners to do that they 
may be saved ; and where can we learn that ? 

After Christ rose from the dead, he commanded his dis- 
ciples to ** go into all the world and preach the gospel 
to every creature," and said, *he that believeth and 
is baptized shall be saved.' " Here are two things that 
the Savior requires in order to salvation. And when 
any number of conditions are expressed as necessary to 
salvation, the sinner cannot be saved with any less number 
than is there expressed. So the sinner cannot be saved 
without faith or baptism. We may find authority to add 
other conditions to these, but none to take either of these 
away. Does the Savior require anything else of the sin- 
ner? If so, what is it? He said '* that repentance and 
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all 
nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv: 47. As 
the Savior required this, we have the right to add it to 
the number, and then we have three ; faith, repentance, 
and baptism. But are there any others, and if so, 
what? Matt.x: 32, ** AVhosoever therefore shall confess 
me before men, him will I confess also before my Father 
which is in heaven." Here sinners are required to confess 
the Savior, and therefore we must add that to the number. 

Now we have faith, repentance, confession, and baptism. 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 207 

We now ask, are there any others ? If so, what are they, 
and where are they to be found ? I confess I have not 
been able to find any others. But I am aware that the 
preachers around me will say — many of them at least — 
sir, you have at least one non-essential in the number, and 
we think you ought to take that out, and put an essential 
in its place. Well, which is the non-essential ? The an- 
swer comes from many voices, baptism is the non-essential. 
What then will you have me put in its place ? And all 
these preachers answer with one voice, prayer. But I 
have been calling on these preachers for forty years to 
show the place in the word of the Lord, where Christ or 
any of the apostles ever required prayer of an alien sinner 
as a condition of pardon, and to this time they have failed 
to do it ; and I conclude they cannot. And so I will let 
the conditions remain as I have them ; and I ask if a sin- 
ner complies with all these, will they bring him to and in- 
troduce him into Christ, where salvation is ? I will now 
examine this question and see ; and as I will have to use 
the words unto or to, and into and m, it is important that 
the true meaning of these words should be before the mind. 
Webster says u7ito or to means motion toward a place, as 
going to a trade, or a house. He says into means passing 
from outside of a thing to its interior parts, as going into 
a house. He says in denotes inclosed, surrounded by lim- 
its, as in a house. 

From these definitions we may say that the words tmto 
and to, mean to approach anything ; into^ the act of enter- 
ing it, and in^ the state of being in after having entered. 
AVith this before me, I ask, does believing the gospel bring 
the alien sinner any nearer to Christ? Answer: "For 
with the heart man believetli unto righteousness." Rom. 
X ; 10. But is an approach unt(^ righteousness an approach 
unto Christ? Answer: " But of him are ye in Christ Je- 
sus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, 
and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. i : 30. And 
as Christ is our riglitcousuess, certainly an approach unto 
righteousness is an approach unto Christ. Tiie effect of 
faith is upon the heart, and calls the affections of the heart 
away from sin ; and when the heart is turned away from 



208 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

sin its tendency is toward righteousness ; and so believing 
with the heart is the first step that the sinner takes in com- 
ing to Christ. Repentance also is set down as a condition 
of salvation. Does it bring the sinner any nearer to 
Christ ? Answer : ' ' For Godly sorrow worketh repent- 
ance to salvation not to be repented of." 2 Cor. vii : 10. 
But is an approach to salvation an approach to Christ ? 
Answer: Peter says, *' there is salvation in none other." 
Acts iv : 12. If salvation is in Christ, and there is salva- 
tion in none other, then certainly an approach unto salva- 
tion is an approach unto Christ. The effect of repentance 
is upon the life, and changes the life from the practice of 
sin : and when the life is changed from the practice of sin, 
its tendency is toward righteousness ; and the tendency of 
righteousness is toward salvation, and salvation is in 
Christ. 

We also have confession in the list of conditions. But a 
man asks, is confession really a condition of salvation, or 
can the sinner be saved without it? Let us see. Christ 
said, *' Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I 
confess also before my Father which *is in heaven." If 
Christ never confesses persons before his Father, they cer- 
tainly cannot be saved, and his confessing them is made to 
depend on their confessing him. Again, Paul says, *'If 
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and 
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from 
the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. x: 9. Here salva- 
tion is made to depend on two conditions, and confession 
with the mouth is one of them ; and w^e cannot dispense 
with a condition that is once plainly expressed in the word 
of the Lord, and be saved without it. John says, *' Who- 
soever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God 
dwelleth in him and he in God." 1 John iv: 15. This 
relation to God as expressed here is certainly necessary to 
salvation, and ii is here made to depend on confession. 
And it matters not how many other things it may depend 
on, it certainly depends on confession, for that is plainly 
expressed. Again, John said, " Nevertheless among the 
chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the 
Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 209 

out of the synagogue." Johnxii: 42. There is no evi- 
dence that these rulers were benefitted by believing on 
him, and the only reason intimated in the record is because 
they did not confess him. From these and other reasons 
we might give, we conclude that to confess Jesus Christ 
with the mouth before men is a condition of salvation. 
But does it bring the person who makes it any nearer to 
Christ? Answer: "And with the mouth confession is 
made unto salvation." Rom. x : 10. Salvation is in 
Christ, and there is salvation in none other. Therefore 
an approach unto salvation is an approach to Christ. 

We have now examined faith, repentance, and confes- 
sion, and we find the words to and luito, connected with 
them, all which words mean motion toward him, but not 
entrance into him. They prepare men in heart and life 
to enter into him, but do not introduce them into him. 
They bring the persons who comply with them to Christ, 
but leave them outside, and therefore leave them unsaved ; 
for salvation is not found outside. Then we will have to 
find something that will introduce them into Christ before 
they can be saved. And we have but one more condition 
in our list, and that is the one that the preachers have 
pronounced a non-essential, and think it ought to be taken 
out. Well, suppose we take baptism out for the present, 
and put prayer in its place, and see if we can get those 
who have come unto Christ by faith, repentance, and con- 
fession, into him by pray^ir. Is there any place in the 
word of the Lord that says anyone ever prayed into Christ 
or put Christ on in prayer? Or is there any language in 
the Scriptures that can be so construed as to teach that 
anyone ever did enter into Christ by prayer? If there is 
any such, I have never been able to find it. But I find 
that all who were commanded to pray under the gospel 
dispensation were already in Christ before they were com- 
manded to pi-ay. It is disciples that are required to pray, 
and all disciples are represented as being already in Christ. 
So prayer is a work required of those already in Christ, 
and not to introduce them into him. We see then that we 
cannot substitute prayer in the place of baptism, and get 
persons into Christ. Well, then, does baptism bring per- 



210 Sermons by Jesse L. Scircll. 

sons into Christ ? ' ' Know ye not that so many of us as 
were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death ? " 
Rom. vi: 3. Again, '* For as many of you as have been 
baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." Gal. iii: 27. 
Here we have the word into, which means passing from 
the outside to the interior, as going into a house, and is 
connected with baptism. Baj^tism, therefore, introduces 
those who have come to Christ by faith, repentance, and 
confession, ijito Christ, where salvation is found ; "in 
whom we have redemption through his blood, even the 
forgiveness of sins." Col. i: 14. 

But here the preachers step forward again with their 
last resort, and tell us that the baptism that brings people 
into Christ is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now let us 
examine this a little. John the Baptist is the first that 
mentions the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He says: •'! 
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ; but he 
that Cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am 
not worthy to bear ; he shall baptize you with the Holy 
Ghost and with fire.' Matt, iii: 11. See also Mark i : 
8; Luke iii: 16; John i: 33. From these passages we 
learn that Christ was to be the administrator of the bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost, and he is the only administrator 
of that baptism mentioned in the Scriptures, and John the 
Baptist showed that it required one of greater power than 
he possessed to baptize with the Holy Ghost. He said there 
Cometh one mightier than I. "But we cannot learn any- 
thing from these passages as to what constitutes the bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost, or for what purpose it was to be 
done. The next mention of the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost is found, Acts i : 5. There Christ said to his disci- 
ples, "John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be 
baptized wdth the Holy Ghost not many days hence." 
From this we would naturally expect to learn from that 
manifestation what constitutes the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost. Hence, after Christ said this to his disciples, we 
have the account of his ascension to heaven, and of the re- 
turn of his disciples to Jerusalem. And in the second 
chapter w^e read that ' ' when the day of Pentecost was 
fully come, they (the disciples) were all with one accord in 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Seivell. 211 

one j^lace. And suddenly there came a sound from heav- 
en as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house 
where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them 
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of 
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and 
began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them 
utterance." This was undoubtedly the baptism of the 
Holy Ghost, and it was miraculous in all its parts. And 
as this is a description of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, 
all other occurrences must be like this ; there must be the 
sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, the cloven 
tongues like as of fire ; the persons baptized must be filled 
with the Holy Ghost, and must speak with other tongues. 

But what did it do for them ? Did it bring them into 
Christ ? Certainly not ; for they had been his disciples 
for three years and a half before that. What then was 
accomplished by it? We answer, that it endowed them 
with power from on high. Christ, when he gave them the 
commission, said, "But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem 
until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke 
xxiv: 48. The Savior also said, " ye shall receive power 
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Acts i: 8. 
They did tarry in Jerusalem after the ascension, till they 
were baptized with the Holy Ghost, and then they were 
endued with power from on high ; and this was the pur- 
pose for which they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, 
and not to bring them into Christ. 

There is but one other mention of the baptism of the 
Holy Ghost, and that was at the house of Cornelius; we 
will examine that and see if the object of it was to bring 
the Gentiles into Christ. The record says "While Peter 
yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them 
which heard the word. And they of the circumcision 
which believed, were astonished as many as came with 
Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out 
the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak 
with tongues and magnify God." Acts x : 44-46. Now 
what was the object that was accomplished by this baptism 
of the Holy Ghost? Did it bring these Gentiles into 
Christ, or did it accomplish some other object ? The Jews 



212 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU, 

all thought that it was wrong for them to go among the 
Gentiles and eat with them, and they thought the same 
after they embraced Christianity. So Peter had to be 
convinced by a vision on the house-top, and by the words 
of the Spirit expressly commanding him to go. Acts x : 
11-20. Six Jewish disciples went Avith him, and they had 
not been convinced that the Gentiles had any right to the 
gospel of Christ. But when the Spirit was poured out 
upon them and they heard them speak with other tongues, 
they were convinced. So when Peter said, can any man 
forbid water ? that these should not be baptized, they did 
not object. " And he commanded them to be baptized in 
the name of the Lord." But when Peter and these six 
brethren went up to Jerusalem, and rehearsed these things 
to the church, the record says: *' And when they heard 
these things, they held their peace and glorified God, say- 
ing, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance 
unto life." Acts xi: 18. So we see that the baptism of 
the Gentiles with the Holy Ghost convinced the Jews that 
the Gentiles had a right to the gospel. And by this bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost God also convinced the Gentiles 
that they had a right to the gospel. For Peter said, ' ' And 
God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness, giving 
them the Holy Ghost as he did unto us." Acts xv: 
8. The object of this baptism was to convince the Jews 
and Gentiles " that God is no respecter of persons, but in 
every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteous- 
ness is accepted with him." Acts x : 34. 

And from all this examination we find the baptism of 
the Holy Ghost never introduced anyone into Christ. But 
the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, after they had been 
baptized with the Holy Ghost, had to be baptized in water 
in the name of the Lord. And it is the baptism in the 
name of the Lord that introduced into Christ. But to 
prove that it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that brings 
into Christ, or into his body, which is the same thing, we 
are met with this passage : ' ' For by one Spirit are we all 
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, 
whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to 
4rink into one Spirit." 1 Cor. xii: 13. But is it certain 



Sermons by Jesse L, SeweU. 213 

that the baptism of this jpassage is the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost ? It says by one Spirit, not with, nor in one Spirit. 
By one Spirit makes the Spirit the agent, or actor, 
or the administrator. But are we to understand that 
the Spirit became an active agent, or person, and 
baptized or immersed the people? I think not. It is 
said (Heb. x : 8) that the sacrifices and offerings under the 
law were offered by the law. Are we to understand from 
this that the law became a priest, and presented the offer- 
ing to the Lord in that way ? Certainly not. But by the 
authority and directions of the law the priests offered 
them. And this is the way persons are baptized by the 
one Spirit. The Spirit was sent to the apostles to be their 
instructor in the place of Christ, and they spake as it 
gave them utterance. Thorefore, by the authority of the 
Spirit, and according to its directions they baptized the 
people. And it is by the same authority and directions of 
one Spirit that we baptize the people now. But the bap- 
tism that the apostles administered was water baptism, and 
that is the baptism that we administer now. Water bap- 
tism was the baptism that introduced persons into Christ, 
into the one body, which is the church. And it is water 
baptism that introduces into Christ now. And so from 
this investigation we think that it is certain that no one 
can get into Christ without being baptized. 

But we have not yet found the word in, which means 
the state of being in after having entered, and we must 
look for that. In Gal. iii : 27, the apostle said, "For 
as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 
have put on Christ ; " and added, "there is neither Jew 
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither 
male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ." Here we 
find the word in Christ, and put on Christ, and we do not 
find it applied to any others. He also represents them as 
being in a saved state. He says of them, "If ye be 
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according 
to the promise." This then is the way sinners are to be 
saved. They come to Christ by faith, repentance and con- 
fession, and are baptized into Christ, where salvation is 
found. Christ said, "I am the door, by me if any man 



214 Sennoiis by Jes^ L. Sewell. 

enter in, he shall be saved." John x : 9. The sheepfold 
here represents the church, and Christ says I am the door, 
and no one can get into the fold until he enters by the 
door. And there is no other way pointed out by theVord 
of God by which any can get into Christ, the door, but by 
baptism. There is no salvation out of Christ, and under 
the teaching of this age, many persons come to Christ, to 
the door, and stop there and never enter at all. For to 
believe and repent, or repent and believe, as they have it, 
can at the furthest only bring them to Christ, the door, but 
leaves them without where there is no salvation. 

O I that the time may speedily come when all ministers 
will declare the whole counsel of God, and keep back 
nothing that is profitable to the people. 

Reader, ponder well this important subject. Your sal- 
vation is involved in it. If you are not in Christ abeady, 
resolve never to be satisfied, or stop until you are baptized 
into him, and put him on. There is safety there, and 
there is none anywhere else. There you have redemption 
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Farewell. 




y- >j> ^j 



-^.^^^m^i 



SERMON NO. IX. 



ADOPTION. 

i i /^T ND for this cause he is the mediator of the New 
yr|- Testament, that by means of death for the re- 
' ^ demption of the transgressions that were under 
the first Testament they which are called might receive the 
promise of eternal inheritance. For where a Testament is 
there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 
For a Testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise 
it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." Heb. 
ix: 15-17. 

I desire in this sermon to examine the subject of adop- 
tion into the family of God under the figure of a will or 
testament, and I am aware that the learned differ as to the 
proper rendering of the word testament in this connection. 
In the Living Oracles we have the word institutibn in- 
stead of the word testament. And in the American Bible 
Union version we have the word covenant in all the con- 
nection, only in the 16th verse. There we have the words 
testament and testator. ' Conybeare and Howson have the 
word testament throughout this connection. 

The English Revised Version has the word covenant 
only in the 16th and 17th verses where we have the word 
testament, and the American Committee in this revision 
were in favor of the word testament in the 16th and 17th 
verses. So a majority of all translations before me now 
have the word testament in these verses and I shall use 
that word in this sermon. All the translations now before 
me have the word will, in Heb. x : 9, 10, and I shall use 
it in this sermon. The verses read thus: "Then said he, 
so I come to do thy will, O God, He taketh away the 

215 



216 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

first that he may establish the second. By the which will 
we are sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ once fi^r 
all." 

I understand that the word will here is applied to the 
same things that the word testament is in the 9th chapter ; 
and as words are the signs or representatives of ideas it is 
important that we understand the meaning of the wcu'ds 
used in any spoken or written composition in order that 
we may understand it. I ask therefore what do the words 
will, and testament, mean ? For example, when I use the 
words Old Testament, what idea comes up before the 
mind ? I suppose generally the idea of the Book contain- 
ing the writings of Moses and the prophets. This is cor- 
rect as far as it goes, but does not exhaust the meaning of 
the w^ord testament. And when I say the New Testament 
then the idea of the Book which contains the writings of 
the apostles and evangelists of Jesus Christ, is understood, 
for we have been accustomed to hear these Books called 
the Old and New Testaments. But this does not exhaust 
the meaning of the word testament. When I say that one 
of our old citizens has made his last will and testament, 
what idea comes up in the minds of those that hear ? Gen- 
erally about this : the idea of an instrument of writing 
containing the will of that man concerning the division of 
his estate among his heirs after his death. 

We have now arrived at the true meaning of the w^ords 
will and testament. These words must always carry the 
mind to the death of the one that' made the wall and testa- 
ment, for wills are never executed until after the death of 
the testator. And it often occurs that the same man makes 
more than one w^U. But when he makes the second will 
it sets aside the first, and takes its place. So the first is 
no longer to be regarded the wull of the man. So in re- 
gard to any number that he may make. Only the last 
one will be executed after his death. And the heirs will 
have to inherit according to the last will or testament. 
They cannot inherit under any previous will, for the last 
one set aside all previous ones, and the last one was the 
will of the man at his death, and the only one that can be 
executed, for the same man never has two wills in force at 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 217 

• 

the same time. And God our heavenly Father has dealt 
Avith our fallen race in this way. He has established more 
than one institution or order of "worship for the human 
race. But he never had but one in force at the same time. 
One always ended at the establishment of another. The 
first was the family, or patriarchal dispensation adapted to 
the first relationship of men on earth : and it was in force 
about twenty-five hundred years, until the law of Moses 
was given, which was a national covenant or institution or 
order of worship. This was adapted to the national rela- 
tionship, which was the second relationship among men on 
earth. And this took the place of the family institution 
and continued in force for about fifteen hundred years, 
until the Christian institution was established, which is a 
great universal institution or order of worship, adapted to all 
the world, and was put in force by the death of our Lord 
Jesus Christ and is still in force. It took the place of the 
Old Testament or law dispensation ; and when the law of 
Moses was given, then the people could no longer obtain 
the blessings of God as did the patriarchs. And after the 
new covenant or testament was established, then the peo- 
ple could no longer obtain the blessings of God as did those 
under the law. But the people who lived under each cov- 
enant or testament had to seek the blessings of God by 
complying with the laws of the covenant under which they 
lived. I am aware that religious teachers, many of them 
at least, go back to the personal ministry of our Savior to 
find examples of salvation for the people who live now. 

They bring up the cases of the publican and the thief 
and tell the people that they must be saved as they were,^ 
and this is to teach them that they can inherit under an 
old will that has been superseded by a new one, a thing 
that cannot be. But they tell us that those people were 
saved by Christ, and therefore under the new covenant. 
But they forget that the old covenant continued in force 
until Christ took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. 
And they also forget the fact that the new covenant was 
of no strength at all, until after the death of Christ ; for a 
testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of 
no strength at all while the testator liveth. It was clearly 



218 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

the death of Christ that put the new will and testament of 
our heavenly Father in force, and therefore those persons 
saved before the death of Christ, were not saved under the 
new will, for it was of no strength before his death. But 
we will illustrate this matter by a simple figure. 

While a man lives that has children, and has property 
or money, his children can come to him and ask him for 
anything that he has, and it is his privilege to give it to 
them as a special gift ; and parents often do this. But he 
grows old and makes his will and dies, and then his chil- 
dren can no longer go to him and ask him for anything as 
they did while he lived. But he has left his will behind 
and now their only chance is to look to the will, and when 
that is opened by the executor, if there is anything be- 
queathed to them they can, by complying with the stipu- 
lations of the will, obtain and enjoy it the same as if the 
father was living. So Christ while he lived among the 
people, in fashion as a man, did as a kind father does. The 
people could then come to him and ask him for any bless- 
ing they needed and he had both the right and power to 
bestow them, and he did give many things to the people 
when they asked him. But he gave them as special gifts, 
and not according to the stipulations of any law. He had 
the power on earth to forgive sins, and he sometimes 
did it. But he was not governed by any law of pardon in 
so doing, but did it as a special gift and as an individual 
case. There was a laAV of pardon in the law of Moses, and 
it required those that had sinned to oifer a sin offering in 
order to obtain pardon ; but the Savior did not require 
this. He spoke pardon directly to them as in the case of 
the man sick of the palsy : * ' And Jesus seeing their faith 
said unto the sick of the palsy, son, be of good cheer, thy 
sins be forgiven thee." Matt, ix: 3. — And in the case of 
the woman which washed his feet with tears and wiped 
them with the hair of her head, to whom Jesus said, *' her 
sins which are many are forgiven; for she loved much." 
Luke vii : 47. 

In the case of the man sick of the palsy Jesus looked 
to the faith of those that brought him and not to his own 
faith. But in the case of the woman he looked to her 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 219 

faith and love. He conferred many other things on the 
people as special gifts while he was with them on the earth. 
But he was crucified and slain, and although he rose from 
the dead, he did not remain on earth among the people as 
he did before his death. He ascended to heaven, and the 
people can no longer approach him in person and ask 
him for blessings as they did while he was among them. 
But he put the last will and testament of God our Father 
in force by his death, and has left it on earth and all must 
now look to the will in order to obtain salvation from sin. 
This is their only chance ; but if they comply with the 
stipulations, they can obtain the forgiveness of sins as cer- 
tainly as if the Savior was here to speak pardon to them. 
And we wish to impress it on the minds of all that this is 
their only chance ; that they cannot now be saved as those 
persons were while Christ was on earth. But we have a 
good many things we desire to say about wills and testa- 
ments ; and first, when a man in the right exercise of his 
reason makes his will in accordance with the laws of his 
government, and signs it, and has it witnessed and filed 
away as the law directs, and then dies, it makes his will 
■ unchangable. There is no one living that has the right to 
change one single feature in it. All the legatees embraced 
in it must come to it, just as it is, and comply with its re- 
quisitions just as they are, or they cannot inherit under it 
at all. Is it so with the last will and testament of our 
heavenly Father, that was put in force by the death of his 
beloved Son ? Can men change it to suit their own fancy 
or their own sense of propriety ? 

The apostles were the executors of this will, and after 
they had made known its stipulations extensively among 
the Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles, and many thousands 
had complied with its requisitions and had become heirs, then 
one of them said; ''But though w^e or an angel from 
heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that we 
have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said 
before so say I now again, if any man preach any other 
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto 
you, let him be accursed." Gal. i : 8-9. 

In preaching the gospel, they made known the stipula- 



220 Sermons bg Jesse L. Sewall. 

tions of this will ; and we see from this that neither apos- 
tles, angels nor men can preach any other without incur- 
ring the curses of heaven on their own heads. Again, 
Christ said, "For I testify unto every man that heareth 
the words of the prophecy of this Book, if any man shall 
add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues 
that are written in this Book ; and if any man shall take 
away from the words of the Book of this prophecy, God 
shall take away his part out of the Book of life, and out of 
the holy city, and from the things that are written in this 
Book." Eev. xxii: 18-10. 

From this we see that no man can change this will, 
without forfeiting his right to all the blessings promised in 
it, and incurring all the curses pronounced in it. Oh, my 
soul, I tremble for many of the preachers of this age. 
From these passages it is plainly taught that this will is 
uuchangable, and therefore all must come to it, just as it 
is, and comply with its requisitions just as they are, or 
they cannot inherit under it at all. Men and women are 
not permitted to choose how they are to be saved, for the 
Lord has pointed out the way, and they must walk in it. 
They are not allowed to walk after the imaginations of* 
their own hearts, or to do the things that seem right in 
their own eyes. They must obey the Lord if they would 
be saved. 

Again, there are none that can inherit under a will 
unless they are embraced in it. And in view of this, 
we ask who are embraced in this last will and testa- 
ment of God our Father? I am answered from a certain 
standpoint in the Cliristian horizon that there is an elect 
number of the human family that are embraced in it, and 
that they will certainly all inherit under it, without the 
loss of a single one: that there is also a non-elect number 
that are not embraced in it, and that none of them can 
possibly inherit under this will. They claim that God un- 
changably placed these two classes before the foundation 
of the world. All who accept this answer as true, will 
naturally ask to which of these classes, do I belong ? And 
this is to them a very important question ; for they see 
that if they belong to the elect that their salvation is abso- 



Sermons by Jet'se L. Seivell. 221 



lutely sure, and if they beloug to the nou-clect, tliere is 
uo possible cbauce for them to be saved. 

I kuew two lueu when I was young, who believed this 
doctrine, who became so dee2)ly concerned to know to 
which class they belonged that they tried all the means 
that the j^i'^achers told them to, and could not satisfy 
themselves, and then abandoned themselves to strong 
drink, and would talk about it and shed tears over it when 
they were so drunk that they w^ould stagger when they 
walked. They never did become satisfied about it, and 
both died drunkards. Is it so that there is no way to de- 
cide this question ? The first thing to be done is to test 
the truth of the doctrine, and this can only be done by 
appealing to the will itself, and ascertaining who are em- 
braced in it. This is the way that executors of wills in 
this world ascertain who are embraced in the will that they 
execute, and I think that we can ascertain who are era- 
braced in this will in the same way. Let us go to it, and 
see. The first question we ask is, for whom did Christ 
die ? for it is admitted by all that there is a chance for all 
to be saved for whom he died, and we have such decla- 
rations as these in regard to his death: " For the love of 
Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one 
died for all, that they that live should not henceforth live 
unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and rose 
again." 2 Cor. v : 15. 

Again; " There is one God and one mediator between 
God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself 
a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Tim. ii: 5. 
And again: ^' But we see Jesus who was made a little 
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned 
with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should 
taste death for every man." Heb.-ii: 7. 

From tliese we see that Christ died for the whole human 
family, and so far as his death is concerned all have a 
chance to be saved. And when we look into the wull, as 
Christ gave it to the apostles, who were the executors of 
the will, he embraced all nations; for he said to them, 
" All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth ; go 
ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the 



222 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost." Matt, xxviii : 19. Again, "And he said unto 
them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. to 
every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
Mark xvi : 15, 16. And again, " He said unto them, thus 
it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to 
rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance 
and remission of sins should be preached in his name 
among all nations beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv : 
46. From these declarations of the Savior it is clear that 
all the world, and every creature are embraced in this la.st 
will and testament of God our heavenly Father. So no 
one need be troubled on that ground ; for all that are em- 
braced in a will may inherit under that will, if they will 
comply with its stipulations. But there is another thought 
connected with this that we desire to present here, and 
that is this : According to all law, human and divine, the 
children born into the family are the only legal heirs. 
And this being true, Christ is the only heir to his Father's 
estate, for he is the only begotten Son of God. He said 
to his disciples while he was here with them, "All things 
that the Father hath are mine." John xvi : 15. 

This being true, how are any of the fallen sons and 
daughters of men to become the children of God and heirs 
with his Son ; for none of them were born into his family 
in a literal sense, as was his only begotten Son ; and there- 
fore are not heirs in that way. If they become heirs at all, 
it will have to be in some other way. But hoiv, is the ques- 
tion. In all human governments there is a law of adop- 
tion that gives to the citizens of the government the right 
or privilege to adopt the children of others into their fam- 
ilies and make them heirs with their own children. This 
they can do while they are living, and bring them home, 
and raise and educate them in their own families. But if 
they do not do this while they live, they have the privilege 
when they make their last will and testament, if they have 
their minds on any one or more that they desire to make 
heirs, to embrace them in the will. And when they die, 
and the will is executed, then all that are embraced in it 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 223 

can come, and by complying with its stipulations can be- 
come heirs and inherit under the will. And permit me 
to say that if there is not a law of adoption in the last will 
and testament of our heavenly Father, there is no chance 
for any of the fallen sons ane daughters of men to become 
heirs of God at all. For none of them that are on earth 
now were adopted into his family before the death of his 
Son, which put the will in force. Therefore if there are 
not provisions for them in the will, there is no chance for 
them to become children and heirs of God, Hence we 
must look into the will and see if there is a law of adoption 
in it. And first we find in Rom. viii: 14, *' For as many 
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 
For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to 
fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby 
we cry Abba Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness 
with our Spirit that we are the Sons of God. And if 
children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with 
Christ." 

From this we learn there is a*law of adoption, and the 
Romans had complied with its requisitions, and had been 
adopted into the family of God, and become children of 
God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, and had the 
right to cry unto God, Father, Father. The word Abba 
means father. Gal. iv : 4, " But when the fullness of the 
time was come God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, 
made under the laAV, that we might receive the adoption 
of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth 
the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father. 
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a 
son then an heir of God through Christ." And in other 
places we have the children of God spoken of as having 
been adopted ; but this is sufficient to show that there is a 
law of adoption in the will, and we have before shown that 
all the world of mankind are embraced in the will, and 
there is therefore a chance for all to become the children 
of God ; for a law that embraces the whole human family 
must be uniform in its requirements, and must be the 
same to all. But what are sinful men and women re- 
quired to do in order that they may be adopted and become 



224 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

children of God ? This is an important question, and we 
desire to find the true answer to it. 

In order to do this, we must take into consideration the 
fact that Christ and the apostles speak of two families, and 
only two ; the family of God and the family of the devil. 
Christ in the parable of the wheat and the tares said : ' ' The 
tares are the children of the wicked one, and the enemy 
that sowed them is the devil." Matt, xiii: 38. Christ 
said to the wicked Jews, that rejected and persecuted him, 
** Ye are the children of your father, the devil; and the 
lusts of your father ye will do." John viii : 44. Paul said 
to Elymas, the sorcerer, *' O full of all subtlety, and all 
mischief, thou child of the devU, thou enemy of all right- 
eousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of 
the Lord?" Acts xiii: 10. And John said, "In this 
the children of God are manifest, and the children of the 
devil." 1 John iii : 10. From these we learn that all 
that rejected Christ and the gospel are spoken of as the 
children of the devil, and therefore belong to his family, 
and are under his government. They made themselves 
the children of the devil by sinning against God, and plac- 
ing themselves under the guidance of the devil. God did 
not make them such, and he does not propose to save them 
while they remain in the family of Satan. But Christ has 
conquered Satan, and he opened the way for them to come 
out ; but he does not propose to compel them to come out. 
He gives them a choice in the matter and thus places the 
responsibility on them. He has given the law of adoption, 
which contains such requirements as they can comply 
with, and thus sets life and death before them, and leaves 
them to choose. The Savior in this law of adoption re- 
quires them to believe the gospel which he sent his disci- 
ples to preach, and to repent of their sins, and confess 
him with the mouth before men, and be baptized in his 
name ; and when they do this, he promises them salvation 
from sin and Satan. 

These are the stipulations of the will. When they com- 
ply with them, they are adopted into the family of God, 
and become children of God. But they must be prepared 
for the society of the family of God before they can enter 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 225 



into it and enjoy it. As long as they love and enjoy the 
society of the family of Satan, they will remain there. 
When they believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and are 
convinced that he is their best friend and their only Sav- 
ior, and that sin and Satan are their worst enemies, they 
cease to love sin and begin to love God and righteousness. 
And this makes them willing to leave the family of Satan 
and desire to come into the family of God. This faith in 
Christ produces in their hearts a godly sorrow for sin, and 
this works repentance to salvation and causes them to 
cease the practice of sin. And when their hearts are thus 
changed from the love of sin by faith, and their lives from 
the practice of it, they cannot enjoy the society of the old 
family of Satan any longer. They become anxious to 
leave it. But faith and repentance do not introduce them 
into the family of God, they only prepare them to enter. 
But when they are baptized into the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, they are " deliv- 
ered from the power of darkness and translated into the 
kingdom of God's dear Son ; in whom they find redemp- 
tion through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." 

When they enter his kingdom, they enter his family 
and become children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs 
with Christ; heirs " to an inheritance that is incorrupti- 
ble and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in 
heaven for them." Such an inheritance is worth seeking : 
It is worth infinitely more than all the world. The wealth- 
iest men that have ever lived in the world could only em- 
brace a few in comparison with the whole race of men in 
their last wills and testaments and make them wealthy and 
happy. And the best inheritance that they can bequeath, 
can only last through this short life. But the estate of 
our heavenly Father is sufficient for the whole race of men, 
not only for this short life, but it will last while the cycles 
of eternity shall run their endless rounds ; and the glory 
of the last will and testament is, that under it, " God is 
no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fear- 
eth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him." 
Acts X : 24. 

It embraces the rich, the poor, the bond and free and 
15 



226 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

requires the same things of all. If the king on his throne 
will humble his heart, and comply with the stipulations of 
this will he will be adopted into the family of God, and 
become a child of God and an heir to this rich inheritance. 
And while the king has this privilege, the poorest beggar 
in the highway has the same privilege ; so that if he will 
comply with the requisitions of this will, he is adopted into 
the family of God, and is an heir to as bright a crown and 
as rich an inheritance as the king on his throne. And 
while these extremes of human life have this right, all the 
intermediate links and degrees of human life have the 
same right under this will. God our Father proposes to 
encircle in the same arms of love and mercy all that will 
comply with its stipulations, and place them upon the same 
foundation, and constitute them children of the same par- 
ents and heirs of the same inheritance. So we say with the 
poet, ** none has a just pretense to perish in despair." 
Then we may say come one, come all, and comply with 
these stipulations, and come into the family of God, and 
live obedient sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, 
and you will be happy in life and in death, and happy in 
the resurrection, and happy in the possession of your in- 
heritance forever more. 



.^^ird <=cS^ ^(^^i^^ . 



0>-. ^ "^ -<« 



SERMON NO. X. 



THE SON OF GOD. 

r^ RAND and glorious name ! Jesus, Savior, Christ, 
I/JX Emmanuel, God with us, Messiah, the anointed ; 
^^ a name " which is above every name which is 
named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to 
come." Eph. i: 21. A name at which ev^ery knee is to 
bow, of things in heaven, and on eartli, and under the 
earth. The only name under heaven given among men 
whereby we must be saved. One grand object for which 
the Old Testament was written, was that the Son of God 
might be identified as the sent of God, and the Savior of 
fallen men and women. He is the alpha and omega, the 
first and the last, the beginning and the end of the New 
Testament, and is the theme of this sermon. 

AYho is he, and from whence is he ? We fearlessly take 
the ground that he is the tnly begotten Son of God, not- 
withstanding we are aware that many take the ground 
that he is the very and eternal God. There is a contro- 
versy going on among religious people that began in the 
year of the Lord 317. See Mosheim's Church History, 
translated by McLean, Vol. 1, page 124. This contro- 
versy is known as the Ariau and Trinitarian controversy, 
and has not yet been settled. In this sermon we will ex- 
amine this controversy in the light of the Bible. We shall 
in the first place present testimony to prove that he is the 
Son of God, and then examine the testimony relied on to 
prove that he is the very and eternal God. 

Out first argument is drawn from the use and meaning 
of the words FatJisr and Son. The word father always 
carries with it the idea of offspring, and it cannot be used 
at all without conveying that idea. The word son always 

227 



228 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

carries withiD it the idea of a father, and it cannot be used 
without representing that idea. The words father and son 
always represent two persons, separate and distinct from 
each other, and it is impossible for a man to be his own 
father or his own son. The word father may sometimes 
represent self-existence, but the word son never; it always 
represents the idea of a derived existence. Every son 
that has been born, derived his existence from his parents. 
The word Father, when applied to God, represents the 
idea of self-existence, for he did not derive his existence 
from any one. He was never begotten nor born, but is 
from everlasting to everlasting. But the expression, the 
Son of God, represents a derived existence. He was be- 
gotten of God, and born of the Virgin Mary, and derived 
his existence from his parents. And unless it can be 
shown that the words Father and Son, when applied to 
God and Christ are used in different senses to what they 
are when applied to men, then God and his Son are two 
distinct persons, and Jesus Christ is the Son of God in a 
sense in which no other being is his son. Adam is called 
the son of God : Luke iii : 38. But he was the son of 
God by creation, and did not partake of the nature of 
God, and was not divine. But Jesus Christ is the begot- 
ten and the only begotten Son of God, and partakes of the 
nature of his Father and is divine. Christians are repre- 
sented as begotten of God hy the gospel, but not in the 
same way that Christ was begotten of him, for Christ is 
the only begotten Son of God. John i: 16, "And the 
word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we beheld 
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 
full of grace and truth." And verse 18, ''No man hath 
seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, which is in 
the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Chapter 
iii: 16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever belie veth in him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life." 

So then Christ is not the Son of ( rod by creation as was 
Adam, as Arians teach, but is the only begotten Son of 
God. But if, as Trinitarians teach, he is the very and 
eternal God, then he is his own Father, and his own Son, 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Sewelt. 229 

which is impossible. Matt, iii: 16, ''And Jesus when he 
was baptized, went straightway up out of the water, and 
lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the 
Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon 
him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my be- 
loved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Now, let us ex- 
amine this passage a little closely. Jesus Christ was now 
to be manifest to Israel in his true character or person. 
John the Baptist said, " That he should be made manifest 
to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." John 
i : 31. And Matthew tells us here how he was manifested ; 
that when he was baptized of John, that the heavens were 
opened, and the Spirit descended upon him in shape like 
a dove ; and lo, a voice which said thou art my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased. The Spirit identified 
him to the people, and the voice told them who he was. 
It was surely God that spoke. No one disputes this, and 
he evidently spoke of Jesus Christ, who had just been 
baptized, and was coming up out of the water. He said 
this is my beloved Son. Now did the great Jehovah speak 
the truth on this occasion ? Then Jesus is the Son of God, 
and not the very and eternal God. Who will dare dispute 
this testimony ? It would be to charge God with false- 
hood. This passage shows that there were two — one in 
heaven and the other on earth ; This passage ought to 
forever settle this question. 

But again, Matt, xvii : 1-6, here we have the account 
of the transfiguration of Christ. After the transfiguration, 
"behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a 
voice out of the cloud which said, this is my beloved Son, 
in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him." Now all known 
to me agree that it was God that spake on this occasion, 
and it was Christ, that he said was his Son ; and this was 
done in the presence of Peter, James and John, Moses and 
Elias , and he said, hear him ; hear Moses and Elias no 
longer, but hear my Son. And if Jesus is the very and 
eterual God, then this passage is false, and only calculated 
to bewilder the human family ; but it teaches as plainly as 
language can possibly teach anything, that Jesus is the 
Son of God: 



230 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

When Peter said to Christ, ' ' thou art the Christ, the Son 
of the living God," Christ said, " Flesh and blood has not 
revealed it imto thee ; but my Father which is in heaven." 
Matt, xvi : 16. Tliis confirms the truth that it was God 
that first revealed the great fact that Jesus is the Son of 
God. And Peter in his old age remembered that revela- 
tion when he said, "There came such a voice to him, from 
the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven, 
we heard, when we were with him on the holy mount." 2 
Peter i : 17. We have in the foregoing given the testi- 
mony of God that Jesus is the Son ; and there is no way 
to set that testimony aside, only to impeach the character 
and veracity of God ; for it is given in as plain and posi- 
tive language as can possibly be spoken We will now 
give the testimony of Christ. 

When Jesus was brought before the high priest, he 
asked him saying, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the 
blessed? And Jesus said, I am." Markxiv: 62. This 
testimony is as positive as it can be made. When Christ 
was talking with the woman of Samaria, she said, " I know 
that Messias cometh, which is called Christ ; w^hen he is 
come he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I 
that speak unto thee am he." John iv : 26. And again, 
when Jesus had opened the eyes of the man that had been 
born blind, and the Jews had cast him out of the syna- 
gogue, Jesus found him, and " He said unto him, dost 
thou believe on the Son of God ? He answered, who is he 
Lord, that I might believe on him ? And Jesus said unto 
him, thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh 
with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and worshiped 
him." Johnix: 35-39. 

And again, when Jesus said, "I and my Father are 
one," the Jews accused him of blasphemy. And Jesus 
said, " Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and 
sent into the world, thou blasphemest, because I said I am 
tlie Son of God ? " John x : 36. Here the Jews accused 
him of making himself God ; but he denied this by say- 
ing, " I said I am the Son of God." So he would not ac- 
knowledge that he w^as God. Yet men will persist in say- 



Sei^mons by Jesse L. SeweU, 231 

ing that he is the very and eternal God. When Jesus was 
on trial before Pilate, Pilate sought to clear him. The 
Jews said, " We have a law, and by our law he ought to 
die, because he made himself the Son of God." John xix : 
i7. Here the Jews testify that he claimed that he was the 
Son of God. We have here given the testimony of Christ, 
and it is so plain and so positive that there is no chance to 
evade it, only to impeach his sincerity and say he testified 
falsely. Having given the testimony of God and Christ 
we will now give the testimony of angels. 

When the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary, he said to 
her : * ' And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and 
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS. 
He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the high- 
est; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of 
his father David." Luke i : 31-33. Again, verses 34, 
35: "Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be, 
seeing I know not a man ? And the angel answered and 
said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and 
the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. There- 
fore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall 
be called the Son of God." And when Christ was born in 
Bethlehem, the angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds 
who were watching their flocks by night, and said unto 
them, **Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of 
great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is 
born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is 
Christ the Lord." Luke ii: 9-12. Here is the testimony 
of angels; and to give more weight, if possible, to this tes- 
timony, the record says: " And suddenly there was with 
the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God 
and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, good will toward men." Verses 13, 14. This testi- 
mony is very clear and conclusive. The angel not only 
said he should be called the Son of God, but also said that 
he is Christ, the Lord, and the word Christ is often ap- 
plied to the Son of God, but never to God himself. And 
the angel testifies he was born in the city of David. And 
it is often said of the Son that he was born, but it is never 
said of God that he was born. 



232 Servians by Jesse L. Sewell. 

We will now give the testimony of righteous men. 
John the Baptist was a righteous man, a man sent of God 
to make his Son manifest to Israel. John said, " That he 
shall be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come bap- 
tizing with water." And John said, "I knew him not, 
but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said 
unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descendiug 
and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with 
the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear record that this is 
the Son of God." John xxxi: 35. 

We cannot conceive stronger testimony than this. John 
had an unmistakable sign given him of God by ^\hich to 
identify him, so that he could not have been mistaken. 
And he did not say I saw and bear record that this 
is God, but that he is the Son of God. And after Jesus 
had called his twelve apostles to be his witnesses, and had 
been for some time teaching them and working miracles 
among them, when some of his disciples turned back and 
followed him no more, "Then saiel Jesus unto the twelve, 
will ye also go away? AVhen Simon Peter answered him. 
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eter- 
nal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that 
Christ the Son of the living God." John vi: 67-70. 
And when Jesus asked his disciples, " Whom do you say 
that I am, Simon Peter answered him and said, thou art 
Christ, the Son of the living God." Matt, xvi: 16. 

Here is the testimony of the twelve disciples. For on 
both occasions Jesus addressed them all, and Peter an- 
swered for them all, and they all acquiesced in the answer 
given, by keeping silent. Now, if he was God himself, 
the apostles must have known it, and it would have been 
just as easy to have said so, as to say what they did, and 
they would certainly have done it. So we regard their 
testimony as conclusive. But we present the testimony of 
wicked men. 

When Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the 
ghost, the veil of the temple was rent in twain, the earth 
quaked and the rocks rent, and the graves opened. The 
record says: "Now when the centurion and they that 
were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earth quake, and 



Serifrioiis by Jesse L. SewelL 233 

these things that were done, they feared greatly, saying 
truly this was the Son of God." Matt, xxvii: 54. I am 
aware that many take the ground that these were not com- 
petent witnesses, that they being Romans, knew nothing of 
the true and living God and that the best idea they could 
have had was that he was the son of a god, one of 
the gods of the nations, and the Living Oracles so renders 
it. But the new revised English version, and the Ameri- 
can Bible Union render it is as the common version. And 
besides this, this question was brought up in the trial be- 
fore Pilate ; for the Jew^s said, " We have a law and by 
our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son 
of God." And it is most probable that this centurion 
lived among the Jews, and knew their teaching concerning 
the one God. Christ had previously healed the servant of 
a centurion, and who can say certainly that this was not 
the same centurion ? So we think it was possible, at least, 
for him to have been a competent witness. But the prop- 
osition is abundantly sustained without his testimony. 
But there is another class of witnesses w^e wish to exam- 
ine, and that is the devils. They have borne witness that 
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

When Jesus met the two men possessed with a legion of 
devils, "They cried out saying, what have we to do with 
thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? Art thou come hither to 
torment us before the time?" Matt, viii: 29. ''And 
unclean spirits when they saw him, fell down before him, 
and cried, saying. Thou art the Son of God:" Mark iii : 
11. " And devils also came out of many, crying out 
and saying. Thou art Christ, the Son of God; and 
he rebuking them suffered them not to speak, for they 
knew that he was Christ. Luke iv : 4 . Here is the 
testimony of devils, and they were certainly competent 
witnesses, for by some means or other they knew him just 
as soon as they saw him. And they feared him, knowing 
that he had the power over them to torment them. Jesus 
did not command them to hold their peace because they 
were bearing false witness, l)ut because they knew him, 
and were making him known publicly in such a manner 
as to cause an undue excitement among the people. Jesus 



234 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

did not need their testimony ; nevertheless, their testi- 
mony in the case was certainly true. 

We have now given the testimony of God, of Christ, of 
angels, of righteous men, of wicked men, and of devils ; 
all of whom testify in unmistakable terms that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God. And how in the face of all this 
testimony, men can and do say that he is the very and 
eternal God, is indeed very strange to me. 

We will now submit a few more passages that prove that 
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he and his Father 
are two distinct beings. John xiv : 1, "Let not your 
heart be troubled ; ye believe in God, believe also in me." 
This was Christ speaking to his disciples, who were with 
Jesus, and had long believed in the God of Abraham, and 
he here requires them to believe also in him, showing that 
it was not now sufficient for them to believe in God ; they 
must now believe in his Son. This passage shows that God 
and Christ are two distinct persons and that men are re- 
quired to believe in both. John vii: 42, '*I proceeded 
forth and came from God, neither came I of myself; but 
he sent me." This is the language of Christ, and if Christ 
is God, then he came of himself, and sent himself John 
xvi: 28'' I came forth from the Father, and am come into 
the world. Again I leave the world and go to the Fa- 
ther." This shows that Christ and his Father are two dis- 
tinct beings; for if Christ is the one God, then he came 
from himself; that is, he left himself in heaven and came 
into the world, and then left the world and returned to 
himself again. Who is capable of receiving this ? 

But when we believe that Christ is the Son of God, then 
these passages are consistent aftd plain. Mark xvi: 19, 
"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was 
received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God." 
Acts vii: 55, "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, 
looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of 
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And 
said, Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man 
standing on the right hand of God." Paul said, when God 
raised Christ from the dead, he " set him at his own right 
hand in heavenly places." Eph. i: 20, "Who is gone 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Sewell. 235 

into heavcD, and is on the right hand of God, angels 
and authorities and powers being made subject to him." 
1 Peter iii : 22. 

Here are a number of passages that plainly say that 
Jesus Christ is on the right hand of God. And when we 
believe the many declarations of Scripture that declare 
that Christ is the Son of God, and they two distinct beings, 
then all these passages are plain, consistent and sublime. 
But if we take the position that Christ is the one God, 
then all these passages become unintelligible, obscure and 
inconsistent. That God was received up into heaven and 
sat on his own right hand, is absurd. Stephen was mis- 
taken when he said, *-I see Jesus standing on the right 
hand of God ; " for it was God he saw standing at his own 
right hand. God did not set Christ at his own right hand 
in the heavenly places. Christ is not gone into heaven 
and is not on the right hand of God, and angels and au- 
thorities and powers are not made subject unto him, but it 
is God who is gone into heaven, and is on his own right 
hand, and all these things are made subject unto him. 

Jesus Christ is the great high priest, under the gospel 
dispensation. Heb. iv : 14, " Seeing then that we have a 
great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the 
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Heb. ix : 24, 
" For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with 
hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven 
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." 

Now, a priest is a kind of a middle man, that has been 
set apart to officiate between God and man, and to recive 
the offerings of the people and present them to God in 
his temple. So Christ has entered into the holy place, 
not made with hands, to appear in the presence of God for 
us. And when we take the ground he is the Son of God, 
and therefore a distinct person from him, then all that is 
said concerning his priesthood is perfectly consistent, and 
teaches a most important lesson. But if we take the 
ground that Jesus Christ is the very and eternal God, then 
all becomes obscure and unintelligible, only calculated 
to bewilder the mind. 

We are driven to the conclusion, if we take this ground, 



236 Sermons bg Jesse L. Sewall. 

that God is a priest, set apart to officiate between himself 
and the people, that he appears in the presence of himself 
for us, that he through the eternal Spirit offered himself 
without spot to himself, to purge our conscience from dead 
works to serve himself. Oh, consistency, thou art a Jewell ! 
But he is also the one mediator between God and man. 1 
Tim. ii : 5, ''For there is one God and one mediator be- 
tween God and men, the man Christ Jesus." A mediator 
is one who comes in between two parties who are at vari- 
ance and labors to reconcile them. In this case God and 
man are the parties who are at variance, and Jesus Christ 
is the only mediator between them. When we contem- 
plate him as the Son of God, who loved us, and gave him- 
self for us, we can see how he, with the greatest propriety, 
can be mediator between God and our sinful race, and 
labor to reconcile them to God that they may be saved. 
But if we contemplate him as the one God, then the whole 
matter becomes obscure. We must then contemplate God 
as coming in between himself and men, and acting as a 
mediator between himself and men, which destroys one 
party and leaves only one party and the mediator. 

Christ is our advocate. 1 John ii : 1, "My little chil- 
dren, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And 
if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 
Jesus Christ the righteous." An advocate is one who 
pleads the cause of another, before another person, court 
or tribunal ; and when we look at Christ as the Son of 
God, who died for our sins, we can see how he could con- 
sistently plead our cause before his Father, against whom 
we have sinned. But if w^e regard him as the one God, 
we cannot see how he could become our advocate, and 
plead our cause before himself. This again takes away 
one of the parties. If God is our advocate, before whom 
does he plead our cause. Christ is our king. 1 Cor. xv : 
24-29, " Then cometh the end, when he shall have deliv- 
ered up the kingdom to God, even the Father ; when he 
shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, 
for he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his 
feet. >}i * * And when all things shall be subdued 
unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 237 

him, that put all things under him, that God may be all 
in all.' We can very readily see how the Son of God can 
reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet, and 
how he can deliver up the kingdom to his Father, and 
how he can become subject to God, his Father, so that God 
may be all in all. But on the supposition that Christ is 
the very and eternal God, we cannot see how he could de- 
liver up the kingdom to himself and become subject unto 
himself, that he himself might be all in all. But this is 
the dilemma into Avhich those have fallen who take this 
ground. 

We now propose to examine the passages relied on to 
prove that Jesus Christ is the very and eternal God. But 
lest the reader should think that we are misrepresenting 
this teaching, we will copy a few articles from standard 
books : ''The Son who is the word of the Father, the very 
and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took 
man's nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin ; so that 
tw^o whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the God- 
head and manhood were joined together in one person 
never to be divided ; whereof is one Christ, very God and 
very man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead and 
buried, to reconcile his Father to us." — Discipline of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church South, article 2, page 10. 
"The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being 
very and eternal God, equal with the Father* ^ ^ >!^ 
So that two whole, perfect and distinct natures, the God- 
head and the manhood were inseparably joined together in 
one person, -K >K * which person is very God and 
very man, yet one Christ." — Confession of Faith of the 
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, article 2, pages 50, 51. 
*' Jesus Christ is the very unoriginated God." — Theological 
Compend, by Amos Binny, revised by Thomas O. Sum- 
mers, D.D., page 60. 

I have had four discussions with Trinitarians, in three 
of which they stated the proposition in these words: 
" Jesus Christ, which was born of the Virgin Mary, is the 
very and eternal God." And they all appealed to the 
same passages of Scripture to prove their propositions 
which we propose to examine. Isaiah ix: 6, " For unto 



238 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

us a child is born, unto us a son is given , and the gov- 
ernment shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall 
be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the ever- 
lasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of 
his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the 
throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it, and to 
establish it with judgment and with justice ; from hence- 
forth, even forever." 

In regard to this Scripture, we remark that the self-ex- 
istent and eternal God never was a child, and never was 
born. The mighty God. Christ is in few places called 
God, of which Ave will speak fully hereafter. The ever- 
lasting Father. This is the only place that the Avord Fa- 
ther is applied to Christ, and the learned generally agree 
that it should be rendered, " the Father of the everlasting 
age," that is the Christian age. And this rendering har- 
monizes it with all other statements concerning Christ in 
the Scriptures. He is here called the Prince of Peace. 
The word prince in a general sense, is applied to all kings 
and sovereigns : but in a particular sense it means a king's 
son, who is heir to a throne, but has not entered upon his 
reign. And this is evidently its meaning here ; for Christ 
is the Son of God, who was the great Sovereign of the 
universe. He had previously promised David a son who 
should sit on his throne forever. See 2 Sam. vii : 12-17, 
Psalms cxxxii : 11, 12. And in Acts ii : 29-32, these 
promises are applied to Christ. And when the angel an- 
nounced his birth he said, " He shall be great, and shall 
be called the Son of the highest, and the Lord God shall 
give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall 
reign over the house of Jacob, and of his kingdom there 
shall be no end." Luke i : 32, 33. 

From all this it is clear that Isaiah was speaking of 
Christ, the Son of God and not the one God. For it was 
the one God that gave his Son the throne of David, so 
this passage does not proA^e that Jesus Christ is the very 
and eternal God. Matt, i: 23. "Behold a virgin shall 
be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt 
call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God 
with us." This was applied to Christ, and as we have be- 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 239 

fore said he was sometimes called God ; the reason of 
which we will hereafter show. John i: 1, ''In the be- 
ginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and 
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with 
God. All things were made by him, and without him 
there was not anything made that was made." This is re- 
garded as the strongest text in the Bible to prove that 
Jesus Christ is the very and eternal God. In regard to it 
we remark that it represents plurality of ideas. The 
AVord was with God, and one thing cannot be with an- 
other, without there being two. The Word was with God 
at the creation, and was the instrument by which he cre- 
ated all things, and it was the embodiment of his power. 
God said let there be light and there was light. And 
so of every part of creation. ''By the Word of God 
the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the 
breath of his mouth. * * ^ He spake and it was done, 
he commanded and it stood fast." Psalm xxxiii : 7-10. 

Thus God put forth his creative power through his 
word, and for this reason the Word is called God in this 
place. But this connection explains itself, verse 14 : 
' ' And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and 
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of 
the Father, full of grace and truth." And John bore wit- 
ness of him. AVhat kind of witness? Verse 34, " And I 
saw and bare record that this is the Son of God." It was 
the Word that was made flesh ; and when he was made 
flesh by being born of Mary he was then (tailed Jesus 
Christ and declared to be the Son of God, and since that 
it is said that God made the world by him. Heb. i : 2, 
"Hath in these last days spoken unto us ])y his Son, whom 
he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made 
the world." After he was born and called Jesus Christ, 
then it is said the world was made by Jesus Christ. Eph. 
iii: 9, "And to make all men see what is the fellowship 
of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has 
been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ." 

So this text does not prove that Jesus Christ is the very 
and eternal God, but it proves that he is the Son of God. 
1 Tim, iii; 16, "And without controversy, great is the 



240 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

mystery of godliness ; God was manifest in the flesh, just- 
ified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gen- 
tiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 
God was manifest in the flesh! how? Evidently in the 
person of his Son, who was the brightness of his glory and 
the express image of his person. Heb. i : 3, " And no 
man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth 
any man the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever 
the Son will reveal him." Matt, v: 27. 

But this rendering is called in question by many of the 
best scholars of the world, and in the Living Oracles and 
the English revised version it is rendered : ' ' He who was 
manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of 
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, received up into glory." 
This rendering removes all difficulty from the passage, and 
liarmonizes it with all other passages in reference to the 
Son of God. We know that the Son of God was manifest 
in the flesh, that he was preached to the Gentiles, and that 
he was believed on in the world, and that he did ascend up 
into heaven. 

But all this cannot Scripturally be said of God. Heb. i : 
8, "But unto the Son he saith thy throne O God, is forever 
and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy 
kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniq- 
uity; therefore God, even thy God hath anointed thee 
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Here Christ 
is called God, but in such a way as to show that he is not 
the one God, for he is said to have a God that anointed 
liim. And this God that anointed him is the very and 
•eternal God. And Christ obtained the name of God by 
inheritance. Heb. i: 4, "Being made so much better 
than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more 
■excellent name than they." Every son born inherits the 
name of his father ; and so in this case. John x : 30, * * I 
and my Father are one." This is thought to prove that 
God and Christ are comprehended in one person, and that 
therefore Christ is God. But in what sense are they one ? 
John xvii: 20-23. Here Christ prayed for them that 
should believe on him through the apostles' word, that they 
may all be one as we are one. But in what sense did he 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 241 

desire they should be one ? Did he desire that they should 
be united together so as to be but one person ? Certainly 
not. But it is said of the multitude of disciples in Jerusa- 
lem that they were of one heart and one soul. They were 
not one in person, but one in heart and soul. And this is 
the sense in which Christ and his Father are one. One in 
unity of design and concurrence of action. They are one, 
but not in person ; so this passage does not prove that 
Christ is the one God of the Bible. John xiv : 10-12, 
** Philip saith unto him. Lord, show us the Father, and it 
sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long 
time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip ? 
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how say- 
est thou show us the Father ? Believest thou not that I 
am in the Father and the Father in me ? " Now, if we so 
construe this connection as to make it teach that those who 
saw Christ actually saw God in person, we bring it in di- 
rect conflict with many other plain passages. John i : 18, 
' ' No man hath seen God at any time : if we love one an- 
other, God dwelleth in us." 

We must not so interpret the Scriptures as to bring 
them in conflict. But how can this connection be so in- 
terpreted as not to conflict with these passages that we 
have quoted? As God was in Christ, they that saw Christ 
saw the attributes of God manifested in the works which 
were done. For it was God who was in Christ that did 
the works. See John xiv : 10. And they that saw 
Christ saw " the brightness of his Father's glory." Heb. i ; 
3. They saw the image of the invisible God, Col. i : 15. 
If they that saw the face of Christ had actually seen the 
face of God they would have died, Ex. 33 ; 20. When 
Moses prayed that he might see God, he said, " thou canst 
not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live." 
So they that saw Christ did not see the face of God, but 
only the brightness of his glory and the express image of 
his person. This connection, therefore, does not prove 
that Jesus Christ is the very and eternal God. 

We have now examined the most important passages re- 
lied on to prove that Jesus Christ is the very and eternal 
God, and have found that when properly interpreted they 
16 



242 Sermons by Jesse L. Setvell. 

do not prove it, but prove the very opposite, that he is the 
Son of God. We have only presented a tithe of the testi- 
mony found in the Scriptures to prove that he is the Son 
of God. To present all would be to transcribe the most of 
the New Testament. 

For what the apostles wrote they wrote to convince the 
reader that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. John xx: 
30, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the pres- 
ence of his disciples which are not written in this Book. 
But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is 
the Christ the Son of God, and that believing ye might 
have life through his name." And all their preaching was 
for the same purpose. And ' ' Christ prayed for all that 
should believe on him through their word." John xvii : 
20. That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, 
is the great central truth of the Christian institution 
around which all other truths revolve as one common cen- 
ter, and from which they receive all their power and im- 
portance. It is the great foundation fact upon which the 
church of God is built. It is the great truth upon the be- 
lief of which the salvation of the world is made to depend. 
The salvation of no one is made to depend on their believ- 
ing that Jesus Christ is the very and eternal God. Jesus 
Christ being the only begotten Son of God partakes of the 
nature of his Father, and is therefore divine. He is above 
angels, therefore all the angels are required to worship 
him. Heb. i : 6. It is the fact that he is divine that 
gives power and importance to all his words and acts. 
There was power enough in his word, or the touch of his 
hand, to heal all manner of disease. There was power in 
his word to raise the dead and to calm the raging sea. It 
is the fact that he is divine that gives efficacy to his blood. 
Rivers of human blood might be shed, but it could not 
take away one sin. But the ** blood of Jesus Chtist his 
Son cleanseth from all sin." It is the fact that he is divine 
that makes him *' able to save to the uttermost all that 
come to God by him." It his divinity that will give to 
him power and authority as the judge of the living and the 
dead, to pronounce the final doom upon the whole race of 
man for vast eternity. 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 243 

God is called Father 220 times in the New Testament. 
In reference to his relationship to God, Christ is called the 
Son of God 120 times ; in reference to his being the 
anointed of God, Jesus is Christ 555 times ; in view of the 
fact that he is the Savior of the world, he is called Jesus 
925 times ; in view of the fact he was made a sin offering 
for the world, he is called a Lamb 29 times ; in reference 
to his relationship to his earthly parents, he is called the 
Son of Man 82 times ; in view of the fact that he was a 
legal heir to the throne, he is called the Son of David 18 
times. 

The fact that Jesus Christ is the beloved Son of God 
constitutes him the joy of heaven and the only hope of 
earth. The only hope that sinners can have that they can 
ever be saved from sin rests on the fact that Christ died 
for sin and his blood was shed for the remission of sins ; 
the only hope that we have that we will live again after we 
close our eyes in death rests in the fact that Christ rose 
from the dead and abolished death and brought life and 
immortality to light through the gospel ; the only hope 
that the humble disciples can ever have that they will 
ever reach a happier home than this sin-stricken earth, rests 
in the fact that Christ is gone into heaven to prepare a 
place for them, to fit up mansions in his Father's house. 
O glorious hope, O happy thought ! may it swell our every 
bosom with gratitude and fill our hearts with love, so that 
we may all be prepared to enter those mansions, is my 
prayer. 



^,^<;c±=>{^ 



SERMON NO. XI. 



THE GRACE OF GOD. 

T^EAUTIFUL word; grace means favor, a benefit 
lg% conferred by one upon another freely, without an 
-'-^ equivalent paid for it. The grace of God embraces 
all the blessings that God has conferred on the fallen race 
of men ; " For by grace are ye saved through faith ; and 
that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of works 
lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, 
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath 
before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. ii : 
8-10. Keligious people talk a great deal about the grace 
of God, and about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and 
it is right that they should, for the Bible speaks of it 
abundantly. The people, speak of free grace, and the 
apostle said, " Being justified freely by his grace through 
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. iii : 24. 
The people talk about irresistible grace, by which they 
mean that in conversion, God sends down such a power 
through or by the Holy Spirit into their hearts that they 
cannot resist it ; such a power as will convert them wheth- 
er they are willing to be converted or not. In the many 
hundreds of experiences that I have heard related before 
the Baptist (;hurch, (of which church I was a member fif- 
teen years) many of them told of powerful efforts that they 
made to throw off their convictions and put all concern of 
salvation from them, but could not do it ; that the Lord 
would send some unexpected calamity upon them, or bring 
about some circumstance that would compel them to sub- 
mit. Now this irresistible grace is a grace of which the 
Bible says nothing. And indeed it is contrary to the teach- 
ing of the Bible. 
244 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 245 

In regard to the conversion of sinners, God never forces 
salvation on any independent of their will. But he always 
gives them an agency or choice in the matter. He has 
always set life and death before them and called on them 
to choose ; as when Moses set before Israel all the precepts 
of the law, and promised them life, with all the blessings 
and enjoyments of life, if they kept all the precepts of that 
law, and threatened them with punishment and death if 
they transgressed them. He said, " I call heaven and earth 
to record this day against you that I have set before you 
life and death, blessing and cursing ; therefore, choose life 
that both thou and thy seed may live." Deut. xxx : 19. 
Joshua, the successor of Moses, when he was old and ready 
to die, called Israel together to deliver his last address to them 
in which he said : " And if it seemeth evil unto you 
to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve ; 
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on 
the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in 
whose land ye dwell ; but as for me and my house, we will 
serve the Lord." Joshua xxiv: 16. And Christ said to 
his disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
gospel to every creature : he that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
Mark xvi : 16. And in the record of the preaching of the 
apostles under this commission, many believed, and many 
did not as when Peter preached at Solomon's porch, the 
record says: " Howbeit many of them which heard the 
word believed, and the number of the men was about five 
thousand." Acts iv : 4. This language shows that while 
many that heard the word on that occasion believed, yet 
they did not all believe that heard. 

Aud when Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch in 
Pisidia, many of both Jews and Gentiles believed, and 
many did not ; and when the unbelieving Jews began to 
oppose and blaspheme, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, 
and said, ' ' It was necessary that the word of God should 
first have been spoken unto you ; but seeing ye put it from 
you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 
lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Acts xiii : 46. From the 
above quotations we learn that the Lord never forced his 



246 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

blessings on the people, whether they were the blessings of 
this life, or the blessings of salvation from sin, but always 
offered them upon conditions with which they were able 
to comply, and in so doing set life and death before them, 
and left them to choose. If they chose life, they did it by 
complying with the conditions. But if they chose death 
they did it by refusing to comply with the conditions ; and 
so we think that the doctrine of irresistible grace is not 
true. But all who teach the doctrine of irresistible grace, 
also teach that sinners are justified and saved by grace 
alone ; and all who teach the doctrine of unconditional 
election and reprobation, teach the doctrine of justification 
by grace alone directly ; and all who teach the doctrine of 
total hereditary depravity, and a direct influence of the 
Spirit in conversion, teach the doctrine of justification by 
grace alone indirectly ; for they teach that the sinner 
being totally depraved is unable to do anything until the 
Spirit of the Lord enters into his heart, and quickens the 
dead faculties of the soul into life ; that he cannot obey 
the Lord until he is thus quickened or converted, and this 
is conversion by grace alone. But is this doctrine true ? Let 
us see. While we read of justification by grace, we 
nowhere read of justification by gi-ace alone, nor do we 
read of justification by any one thing alone. It is said, 
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. v: 1. But 
it does not say by faith alone. James says, *'Ye see 
then how by works a man is justified, and not by faith 
only." James ii : 24. We are said to be justified by the 
name of Christ. 1 Cor. vi: 11. Justified by the blood 
of Christ. Rom. v : 7. Justified by knowledge. Isa. 
liii: 11. Justified by works. James ii: 24. From these 
quotations we see that the doctrine of justification by grace 
alone is not true. But, says one, I think that the first 
passage you quoted proves it. "For by grace are ye 
saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves: it is the 
gift of God : not of works, lest any man should boast." 
That this passage proves that salvation is by grace I freely 
admit. But that it proves that sinners are saved by grace 
alone, to the exclusion of human agency or human obedi- 



Sermons by Jesse L, Sewell. 247 

ence, I do not admit. In salvation there are two parts, 
the divine and human. There was something necessary to 
be done in order to man's salvation which he could not do, 
and this belongs to the divine part. It was the part of 
God through Christ, to provide salvation for man and 
place it within his reach, within his power, so that by the 
exercise of the powers and capacities which God hath given 
him, and over which God hath given him the control, he 
can seek and obtain the salvation which the Lord has pro- 
vided for him, and bring himself into the possession and 
enjoyment of it by obeying God. The provision of salva- 
tion is by grace : the enjoyment of it is conditional. It 
was the divine part to provide the salvation and appoint 
the conditions. The divine part to confer salvation, the 
human part to enjoy it. And it is not true that man is so 
totally depraved, and so entirely dead, that he cannot be- 
lieve and obey God. And the declaration, *' By grace are 
ye saved through faith," links the divine and human parts 
together. The salvation belongs to the divine part, the 
faith to the human part. But a man asks, is not the faith, 
through which we are saved, a direct gift of God, and as 
much by grace as the salvation, and does not this passage 
prove it? It says, " For by grace are ye saved through 
faith ; and that (faith) not of yourselves : it (the faith) is 
the gift of God : not of works, lest any man should boast." 
And if faith belongs to the human part would it not be of 
works? I am aware that many construe this passage in 
that way, but I am satisfied that it is not correct. The 
word that in this verse does not refer to faith, but to grace, 
by which we are saved. It is the grace, and not the faith, 
that is not of ourselves, but it is the gift of God. The 
word tJmt must refer to the thing furthest ofi" in this sen- 
tence, while the word this refers to the thing nearest by. 
If the verse read, *' By grace are ye saved through faith ; 
and this not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of 
works, lest any man should boast," then faith would be the 
gift of God, and not of works. But it is the grace that is 
the gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should 
boast. For if salvation was of works, then man would 
have a right to boast that he had saved himself by his own 



248 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

works. Bat no man has the power to do this, and when 
he is saved by grace, he is constrained to give the glory to 
God. But that God has suspended salvation upon condi- 
tions with which the people must comply in order that 
they may receive and enjoy it, is as clearly taught in the 
word of God as the fact that God has provided salvation 
for the world through Jesus Christ, his beloved Son. And 
that man can obey God, is shown from the fact that men 
have obeyed God in all ages of the world. Enoch walked 
with God three hundred years. To walk with God is to 
walk in his commandments and ordinances. '' By faith 
Abraham when he was called (of God) to go into a place 
Avhich he should afterward receive for an inheritance, 
obeyed ; and went out not knowing whither he went." When 
the prophet made Naaman's cleansing depend on his dip- 
ping seven times in Jordan, he had the power to do it, and 
he did it, and was cleansed ; when God made the healing 
of the bite of the fiery serpents depend on the people look- 
ing at the brazen serpent, they had the power to look ; 
they looked and were healed. 

When Peter commanded the believing Jews in Jerusa- 
lem, to " Eepent and be baptized every one of you, in the 
name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye 
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" they had the 
power to do it, and they did it, and were added to the dis- 
ciples the same day. When Ananias said to Saul, " Why 
tarriest thou ? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy 
sins," he had the power to do it, and he arose forthwith and 
was baptized. When Peter commanded the Gentiles "to 
be baptized in the name of the Lord," they had the power 
to do it. But what shall I more say? for the time would 
fail me to point out all the examples of this kind that are 
found in the Bible. And I do not think it is necessary 
for me to give any more until some of the advocates of 
total depravity point me to one case, where God plainly 
told any one to do something, and it is plainly stated that 
they could not do it. Then we shall pause to hear from 
them. From this investigation it is clear that the doctrine 
of total hereditary depravity is not true. " For the grace 
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 249 

men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly 
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this 
present world." And when the grace of God teaches us 
that we must do something, that ought to settle the mat- 
ter ; for surely the grace of God would not teach us to do 
something that we cannot. But it says, ''not of works, lest 
any man should boast." Now there are three kinds of 
works spoken of in the Bible. Our own works, the works 
of the law, and the good works which God has ordained 
that we should walk in them. Our own works are such 
as man's wisdom has invented, and no one can be saved by 
such as these. The law of Moses had been done away be- 
fore the apostle w^rote the letter to the Ephesiaus, and 
therefore no one could be justified by the works of the 
law. The good works which God has ordained that we 
should walk in them, are the things that are required in 
the new covenant under which we live ; and under it, 
faith or to believe on the Son of God, is a work of God. 
For when Christ was here the Jews said unto him : " What 
shall we do that we might work the works of God ? Jesus 
answered, and said unto them, This is the work of God, 
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John vi : 
29. And again this is his commandment: "That we 
should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." 1 
John iii : 23. Any thing that God commands is in a sense 
a work of God, and not our owii work. "When I say to 
my son, go work in my field, and he obeys me, he is not 
doing his own work, but he is doing my work. But if in- 
stead of going into my field and working there, he goes 
into his cornfield and works there, then he is doing his own' 
work, aud I am not under any obligations to remunerate 
him for it, but it is my right to punish him for disobeying 
my commands. And so when God commands a man to 
believe on his Son, and repent and be baptized in his 
name for the remission of sins, and he goes off and does 
something else, goes to the mourners' bench and prays God 
to give him faith, and send down his holy Spirit to convert 
him, and to the Lord to come down and pardon his sins, 
although he may be very sincere in all this, yet he is doing 
his own work, or the work of some other man. He is not 



250 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

doing the work of God, for God has not commanded him 
to do this, and he has not promised anything for this work. 
But it is his right to punish him for disobedience. The 
Savior and the apostles have warned us against following 
the doctrines and commandments of men. The Savior said, 
' 'In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the com- 
mandments of men." Matt, xv : 8. And the Savior said 
to the Jews who were finding fault with his disciples for 
not following the traditions of the eldei-s, "Ye reject the 
commandment of God that ye may keep your own tradi- 
tion." Mark vii : 9. And verse 13, " Making the word 
of God of none eftect through your tradition." 

And while we are thus warned against the command- 
ments and traditions of men, we are solemnly warned 
against walking after the imaginations of our own hearts, 
or doing the tilings that are right in our own eyes, instead 
of doing what the Lord has commanded. Jer. xi : 8. 
"Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear ; but walked 
every one in the imagination of their evil heart ; therefore 
I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant 
which I commanded them to do, but they did them not." 
Deut, xxix : 19. "And it shall come to pass when he 
heareth the words of this curse, that if he bless himself in 
his heart, saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the 
imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, the 
Lord will not spare him ; but then the anger of the Lord 
and his jealousy shall smoke against that man and all the 
curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him, and 
the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." 
Deut. xii ; 8. " Ye shall not do after all the things that 
we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his 
own eyes." See Judges xvii : 6, and xxi : 25. From 
these passages it will not do for us to walk after the imagi- 
nations of our own hearts, or do the things that seem 
right in our eyes. But we must do precisely what the 
Lord requires, if we expect to obtain his blessings. For 
the Lord said, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine 
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which 
built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and 
the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that 



Sermo)is by Jesae L. Sewell. 251 

house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. 
And every one that lieareth these sayings of mine and 
doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which 
built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, 
and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon 
that house and it fell, and great was the fall of 
it." Matt, vii : 24-28. From this connection we are 
clearly taught that there is no safety in anything, only 
doiiig what the Lord says. 

And reader, be not astonished when I tell you that the 
tendency of much of the religious teaching of our day, is 
to prevent the people from making any effort to turn to 
the Lord and seek salvation. AVhen a man goes to the 
people and teaches them that God has unchangably fixed 
the destiny of all men and women before they were born 
into the world, and the number is so certain that it can 
neither be increased or diminished, what is there in it to 
influence them to make one effort to seek salvation? Is 
not the whole tendency to settle them down to do nothing, 
and wait for God to reveal to them to which they belong ? 
And when a man teaches the people that they are so totally 
depraved that they cannot think one good thought, nor 
perform one good act ; that their wills are so perverted 
that they are wholly inclined to all that is evil, and wholly 
opposed to all that is good, and that they were born in 
that condition. I ask what is there in this to induce them 
to make a single effort to obey God and be saved ? Is not 
its whole tendency against it? And when the preacher 
tells the people that there must be a direct operation of 
the Holy Spirit upon their hearts before they can be con- 
verted, will they not wait and pray for that operation, and 
make no effort to obey the gospel and be saved ! There 
are many that teach all these doctrines, and I am some- 
times astonished that those who preach the gospel, as did 
the apostles, are able to influence as many as they do to 
believe and obey it and trust its promises for their salva- 
tion. 

But the grace of God is the theme of this sermon and 
we must turn to that again. What has the grace of God 
done for our fallen race ? As the word grace means favor, 



252 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

or a gift conferred by one upon another without the giver 
being constrained or impelled thereunto, we must look at 
the gifts and blessings which God has conferred upon our 
fallen race. And first, " God so loved the world that he 
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 
him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God 
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but 
tliat the world through him might be saved." John iii : 
16, 17. Here we find that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 
is a gift of God to our sinful race. And he sent him not 
to condemn the Avorld, but that the world through him 
might be saved. Had he sent him to condemn the world, 
what must have been the doom of the world ? Evidently, 
had this been his mission, the race of man must have been 
lost forever. For there is testimony enough against them in 
God's word to have condemued them before any righteous 
tribunal where justice without mercy is required. The 
prophet said, " The heart is deceitful above all things, and 
desperately wicked ; Avho can know it ? " Jer. xvii : 9. 
And the apostle has gathered up a fearful list of CA^idences 
from the prophets agaiust both Jews and Gentiles in his let- 
ter to the Romans. He says: " As it is written there is 
none righteous, no not one. There is none that under- 
staudeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are 
all gone out of the w^ay ; they are together become un- 
profitable. There is none that doeth good, no not one ; 
tlieir throat is an open sepulchre. With their tongues they 
have used'deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips, 
whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet 
are swift to shed blood. Destruction aud misery are in 
their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. 
Tliere is no fear of God before their eyes." Rom. iii : 10- 
18. From this inspired description of the hearts aud lives 
of our fallen race, they might have been condemned and 
no principle of justice been violated. 

But in the midst of deserved wrath, God remembered 
them in mercy, aud gave his Sou not to condemn them, 
but that through him tliey might be saved. And it is cer- 
tainly great grace or favor proceeding from the principle 
of love and mercy that allows sinful men and w^omen to be 



Sermons bij Jesse L. Sewell. 253 

saved ; and especially is it great mercy and grace when \Ye 
take into consideration what salvation has cost. It cost 
the richest gift of heaven, the beloved Son of God. And 
when we consider what Christ has done for our fallen 
race, we are still more deeply impressed that salvation is 
by grace, and not of ourselves. For the apostle has said, 
* ' For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, 
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 
that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Cor. viii : 
9. But how rich was he? The apostle says, "God in 
these last days hath spoken unto us by his Son, whom he 
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made 
the worlds." Hcb. i : 2. He is heir of his Father's en- 
tire estate, lieir to all the wealth in the entire universe of 
God. But how poor did he become ? " And Jesus saitli 
unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air 
have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his 
head." Matt, viii: 20. None of the fallen sons and 
daughters of Adam ever became poorer than he. And for 
what did he become poor ? Answer, that we through his 
poverty might be rich, that we might through him be 
made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. He 
emptied himself of all his glory that he might reach the 
lowest estate of our fallen race. " For verily he took not 
on him the nature of angels ; but he took on him the seed 
of Abraham." Heb. ii : 16. And the apostle said, " Let 
this mind l)e in you, which was also in Christ Jesus : who 
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be 
equal with God : but made himself of no reputation, and 
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the 
likeness of men : and being found in fashion as a man, he 
humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even 
the death of the cross." Phil, ii : 5-8. So he stooped to 
the lowest estate of man, and died the death of the cross, 
which none l)ut servants who had committed a very great 
crime were doomed to die. 

Thus he has provided salvation for the whole race of 
man — from the highest to the lowest. And under the new 
covenant, he is the only Savior. " Neither is there salva- 
tion in any other ; for there is none other name under 



254 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." 
Acts iv : 12. In Christianity he is the Alpha and Omega, 
the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He is 
the only hope of the world for salvation from sin and 
Satan, for salvation from the grave, for an entrance into 
the everlasting kingdom. He died for our sins. His 
blood was shed for the remission of sins, and his is the only 
blood that can cleanse from sin. He was our greatest 
prophet while he was on earth. He is our great high 
priest in heaven, to appear in the presence of God for us. 
He is the one mediator between God and men, who gave 
himself a ransom for all. He is our advocate to make 
intercession for us before his Father. He reigns in heaven 
as a King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is ordained 
of God to be the judge of the quick and dead, to wind up 
the affairs of this world, and pronounce upon all, their doom 
for eternity. And in order to obtain salvation from sin 
and Satan, men and women must believe and obey the 
gospel of Christ; and to do this, all their powers must be 
called into exercise. In repenting of their sins, their moral 
powers are exercised. In confessing the Savior with their 
mouth, their vocal organs are exercised, and being bap- 
tized they exercise their physical powers. 

In order that sinners may receive the grace of God in 
the remission of their sins, they must become the charac- 
ters that God has promised to forgive, and must enter into 
that relationship where God has promised to forgive them. 
The efiect of believing the facts of the gospel, is upon the 
heart, to call the affections away from the sins and vani- 
ties of the world and fix them upon righteousness and ho- 
liness, thus preparing them in heart to receive the remis- 
sion of sins. But believing does not introduce them into 
that relationship where God has promised forgiveness. 
The effect of repentance is upon the life, is to change the 
life from the ])ractice of sin to the practice of righteous- 
ness, and it prepares them in life for the remission of past 
sins, but does not introduce them into that relationship 
where God has promised the remission of sins. Confessing 
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, pro- 
duces an effect to some extent upon both the heart and life 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 255 

and completes the preparation in heart and life, but does 
not introduce them into that relationship where God has 
promised^pardon. Baptism does not have its effects upon 
the heart and life, but upon the state. It introduces into 
Christ where salvation is. It introduces into tjie kingdom 
of God's dear Son, in whom we have redemption through 
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And when they 
have thus received the grace of God in the forgiveness of 
their sins, they are then required to continue to exercise 
all their powers by walking in the commandments and or- 
dinances of the Lord through life, in order to obtain the 
everlasting salvation. They must exercise their mental 
powers in searching the Scriptures in order to learn the 
w^ill of the Lord, and their duty to him and to each other 
in all the relations of life. They must exercise their moral 
powers by "abstaining from all appearance of evil, and 
cleaving to that which is good;" by ''denying ungodli- 
ness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and right- 
eously and godly in this present world." They must 
exercise their vocal powers by speaking the truth in love, 
by teaching the things that become sound doctrine, by ex- 
horting and admonishing one another by prayer, thanks- 
giving and praise. The power of speaking, of communi- 
cating thoughts and ideas through words, is a very great 
power, for either good or evil. And God will hold us ac- 
countable for the manner in which we exercise it ; for the 
Savior said: **But I say unto you. That every idle word 
that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in 
the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be 
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." 
Matt, xii: 36, 37. They must exercise their physical 
powers by laboring with their own hands the thing which 
is good, that they may have to give to him that needeth ; 
by visiting the fatherless and widows in their afflictions ; 
by assembling together on the first day of the week to 
break bread, and by performing all other good works which 
God has before ordained, that we should walk in them. 
And all that faithfully walk with God in this world, the 
grace of God will be with them and sustain them in all the 
temptations and trials of life, and support them in their 



256 Sennojis bg Jesse L. Seivall. 

dying hour, and in their resurrection will bring them up 
from the dead with spiritual and immortal bodies, fash- 
ioned like unto his glorious body ; and then by the grace 
of God they will be caught up in the clouds to*meet the 
Lord in the air. Then the grace of God will open to them 
the gates of the new Jerusalem, and giye an entrance 
through, that they may walk her golden streets, and eat 
of the tree of life, and drink of the riyer of the water of 
life, and giye to them the glorious priyilege of associating 
with angels and all the blood-washed throng, and permit 
them to see the face of God uny ailed, in all its glory and 
majesty, and to haye his name on their foreheads, and to 
reign with him foreyer and eyer. Then may all sing, 

" Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, 

That saved a TNTetch like me." 



T 



SERMON No. Xll. 



THE FORM OF DOCTRINE. 

i i -j^ UT God be thanked that ye were the servants of 
|(v% sin : but ye have obeyed from the heart that form 
-^^ of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then 
made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteous- 
ness." Rom vi ; 17. 

Before calling attention to this passage of Scripture, we 
desire to make a few explanatory remarks. This passage 
is found in a letter to the disciples, and it is very impor- 
tant that we should rightly divide, and properly apply the 
Scriptures. The prime object of all the letters to disci- 
ples, is to teach Christian duty. But in these letters the 
writers often refer to what those disciples have done in be- 
coming disciples. But when they do this they always 
speak of it in the past tense, as something already done. 
But when they speak of Christian duty, they speak in the 
present and future tense, as something to be done now and 
hereafter. And when they refer back to their conversion 
they generally speak of it in figurative language. In 
this sixth chapter of the letter to the Romans, the apostle 
evidently refers to what the Romans had done in obeying 
the gospel, and speaks of it as something past, something 
already done and completed. *' Know ye not that so 
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were bap- 
tized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him 
by baptism into death." Again, verse 5, " For if we have 
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we 
shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection." Again, 
** But you have obeyed from the heart that form of doc- 
trine." The apostle speaks of it figuratively, and there- 
fore uses words that they never used when they wTrc 
17 257 . 



258 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

preaching to the unconverted; such as baptized into 
Christ, baptized into his death, buried by baptism into 
death. Form of doctrine, planted together in the likeness 
of his death, none of which they used in their preaching 
to the unconverted. And by observing these things we 
can always tell when they are referring to the conversion 
of disciples, and when they are speaking of Christian duty. 
And we wish now to call the attention of the reader to the 
general contents of this chapter. By examining this, you 
will see that the apostle represents the Romans as having 
been the servants of sin before they obeyed the form of 
doctrine, but that they had died to sin, and been buried in 
baptism and raised up, to walk in newness of life. 

So we see that death, burial and resurrection are spoken 
of in this chapter, and there is a fixed order in which these 
events must take place. First, death, then burial, and 
lastly resurrection ; and to change this order when applied 
to literal death, burial and resurrection, would be a viola- 
tion of all law, human and divine. To bury a person be- 
fore he is dead, would be to commit murder, and that 
would be a violation of the law. But when a person is 
dead, then all law, human and divine, requires that he 
should be buried, and to leave him unburied is a violation 
of the law. But we leave these remarks here until the 
proper place in our sermon to apply them. 

And we now call special attention to the text at the be- 
ginning of this sermon ; notice the apostle docs not say 
you have obeyed that doctrine which was delivered you, 
but he says you have obeyed that form of doctrine. The 
doctrine is one thing, and the form another. The word 
form, as here used, means the image, pattern or likeness 
of anything, and is in this place the image or likeness of 
the doctrine mentioned by the apostle. In order to judge 
or tell whether a likeness is a good or true one, we must 
be acquainted with the substance, or that of which it is a 
form. And so in this we must know what the doctrine is, 
in order to understand the form of it. The question is, 
what is the doctrine ? In answer we say, that if obedi- 
ence to the form is required in order to be made free from 
sin, the doctrine is that by which salvation from sin is 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewdl. 259 

provided. But what is that ? We will let the apostle 
answer. 1 Cor. i: 1-5, ''Moreover brethren, I declare 
unto you the gospel, which I preached unto you, which 
also you have received, and wherein ye stand. By which 
also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached 
unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I deliv- 
ered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 
that Christ died ^ for our sins according to the Scriptures ; 
and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third 
day, according to the Scriptures." 

This is the doctrine of salvation from sin, and the only 
doctrine. For under the gospel dispensation there is no 
other sacrifice from sin, and no other blood that can cleanse 
from sin, but "the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth 
us from all sin." Christ died for our sins and shed his 
blood for the remission of our sins, and the only hope that 
sinners can have that they will be saved' from their sins 
rests in the fact that Christ died for sin and his blood was 
shed for the remission of sin. It is for all the world, and 
for all time. We have now found the doctrine, the form 
of which the Eomans obeyed, and it is the literal death, 
burial and resurrection of Christ. And the form must 
truly represent this doctrine, that is, when obeyed, it must 
bring the person into the likeness of the death, burial and 
resurrection of Christ : not literally, but figuratively. 

I have often thought that the idea of moulding is repre- 
sented here, and if so, the doctrine, which is the death, 
burial and resurrection of Christ, is the mould. And as 
a mould imprints its own likeness on that cast into it, so 
every one that obeys this form of doctrine, is cast into this 
mould, and receives its impress, is made like it. But let 
us examine this form of doctrine and see if this is so. In 
salvation there are two parts — a divine part and a human 
part. But neither of these parts by itself will save. They 
must go together. And here we find the doctrine in the 
divine part, in what the Lord has done ; but we must look 
for the form in the human part. For it was the Eomans 
that obeyed the form. We must, therefore, examine what 
Christ and the apostles required the unconverted to do, in 
order that they might be made free from sin, and see if 



260 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

we can find the form in tlie commission that Christ gave 
to his disciples. 

After he rose from the dead, he said, "Go ye into all 
the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark xvi : 
16. Here, to believe and be baptized are made conditions 
of salvation from sin. Again, he said, '' That repentance 
and remission of sins should be preached in his name 
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv : 
Here repentance is reqired in order to the remission of 
sins ; and the Savior also taught confession. ' ' Whosoever 
shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before 
my Father which is heaven. But whosoever shall deny 
me before men, him will I also deny before my Father 
which is in heaven." Markx: 32. The Savior required 
the unconverted to believe the gospel, repent, confess him 
before men and be baptized, in order that they might be 
made free from sin. The apostles in their preaching to the 
unconverted required the same, and these are all that were 
required. So we will look for the form of doctrine in 
these. But where and how ? We learn that when sinners 
believed the gospel, it made an impression on their hearts, 
they were pricked in their hearts. Acts ii : 37. Their 
hearts were changed from the love of sin, their affections 
called away from the love of sin and fixed on righteous- 
ness. The effect of repentance, is upon the life, to change 
the life from the practice of sin. Christ said, *' The men 
of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah." Matt, 
xii : 41. And in the third chapter of the Book of Jonah 
we read that Jonah entered into Nineveh and cried : ''Yet 
forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." So the 
people believed God and proclaimed a fiist, and put on 
sack cloth from the greatest of them to the least of them. 
And the king passed a decree that all be clothed in sack 
cloth, and that they should cry mightily to God, and turn 
every one of them from his evil way, and put away the 
violence that was in their hands." And the record says 
that God saw their works, that they turned from their evil 
ways, and God repented of the evil that he said he would 
do to them, and he did it not. From this we see that 



Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 261 

when people repent, they turn from their evil ways. Paul 
Baid, " Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not 
to l)e rcj^euted of," and in the case of the people of 
Nineveh, we have the sorrow manifested in their put- 
ting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes, and crying to 
God, which resulted in their turning from their evil ways, 
and that was what God accepted as their repentance, and 
upon which he spared the city. And in this form of doc- 
trine the apostle sums up the effect of their faith and re- 
pentance upon their hearts and lives, and says that they 
were dead to sin, and asks, "how shall we that are dead 
to sin live any longer therein?" Again, he said, "Like- 
wise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but 
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." They 
wxre dead to the love and practice of sin, and in this we 
find the first item in the form of doctrine. 

The first item in the doctrine is, that Christ died for us. 
The first item in the form is, that the believing penitent 
dies to sin. The second item in the doctrine is, that after 
he died he was buried ; and the second item in the form is, 
that after tlie sinner has died to sin, he is buried with 
Christ by baptism into death ; and the third and last item 
in the doctrine is, that after Christ had been buried, he 
was raised up by the glory of the Father ; and the third 
and last item in the form is, that after the believing penitent 
has been buried by baptism into death, he is raised up again 
to walk in newness of life. We have now found the whole 
form of doctrine, and how it was obeyed. And there is 
something beautiful and sublime in it. There is the most 
perfect agreement between the doctrine and the form in all 
its parts. The first item in the form is obeyed when the 
sinner believes and repents ; the second and third when he 
is baptized. The burial and resurrection both take place 
in baptism, as Paul beautifully expresses it. Col. ii : 12, 
" Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen 
with him." From this we see that a person in order to be 
Scripturally baptized must be buried in the water and 
raised out of it again. 

Here we wish to apply the remarks that we made in 
reference to the order in which the events of death, burial 



262 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

and resurrection must occur. First, death; secondly, 
burial, and thirdly, resurrection ; and to change this order 
is a violation of law. And this is equally true in this fig- 
urative death, burial and resurrection that wc are consid- 
ering. It is just as much a violation of the laws of Christ, 
the great king of Zion, to bury a person in baptism before 
he is dead to sin, as it is to bury a person alive literally. 
And we know that would be a violation of law. Christ 
does not authorize any to be baptized until they believe 
and repent. Then they are dead to sin, and it is "the dead 
that are to be buried. But when persons have believed 
and repented till they are dead to sin, the law of Christ 
requires them to be baptized. And it is as much a viola- 
lation of his law for them not to be bajitized, as it is a viola- 
tion of the laws of our land to leave a dead person unbu- 
ried, to be devoured by the beasts of the field. 

The form of doctrine is not obeyed until persons are 
baptized ; nay, until they are buried in baptism and raised 
up again. Any thing that is called baptism that is not 
a burial and resurrection, is not the baptism that is ta'ight 
and practiced by the apostle. And any one might as well 
undertake to prove that a dead person is buried when a 
handful of dirt is sprinkled or poured upon his head, as to 
prove that a j^erson is Scripturally baptized when a few- 
drops of water are sprinkled on his head. Such can never 
constitute obedience to the form of doctrine ; and if they 
never obey from the heart the form of doctrine, they can 
never be made free from sin and become the servants of 
righteousness. And from this investigation we learn that 
Christ, after he had provided salvation from sin by his 
own death, burial and resurrection, saw fit to appoint such 
conditions of salvation that when complied with, brings 
the person into the likeness of his death, burial and resur- 
rection. And he has promised all that comply with them, 
and will serve him faithfully until death, that in the res- 
urrection they shall be made like him in his glorified body. 
And surely no one would ask more than to be like the 
Savior. 

But let us hear some of his promises. 1 John iii : 1 : 
' ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 263 

upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God. * * 
* Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not 
yet appear what we shall be : but we know that when he 
shall appear we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as 
he is." Now while the apostle did not seem to know what 
we would be in every respect, he seemed to know perfectly 
well that when Christ appeared his saints would be like 
him. But it may be asked in what respect will they be 
like iiim? Will it only be in spirit that they will be like 
him, or will they be like him in body also ? Answer, " For 
our conversation is in heaven ; from whence also we look 
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ : Who shall change 
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glori- 
ous body." Phil, iii: 20, 21, This shows that our bodies 
as well as our spirits will be made like him. O, what a 
glorious thought ! what a precious promise ! Christ was 
put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. 1 
Peter iii: 18, *' And he rose to die no more ; death hath 
no more dominion over him." Rom. vi : 9. And all his 
true followers will be raised in the same way. Rom. viii : 
11, " But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from 
the dead dwell in you, he that raised Christ from the dead 
shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that 
dwelleth in you." , And as Christ, when quickened by the 
Spirit, rose to die no more, so all his people when quick- 
ened by the same Spirit, sha41 rise to die no more. In this 
respect then, they will be like him. 

But it may be asked, what kind of a body does Christ 
have now, and what kind of a body will his people have 
when raised from the dead. ? We will let an apostle an- 
swer this. 1 Cor. XV : 36, " But some man will say, how 
are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come ?" 
The apostle knowing that the followers of Christ, when 
looking forward to the resurrection, would be interested to 
know what kind of a body they would have ; whether 
they would have the same kind of a body that they have 
here in every respect, or whether it would be different, 
submits the question and answers it. He first illustrates 
it, and in order to see the force of his illustrations we must 
keep the question before our minds, that is, how are the 



2G4 Sermons by Jesse L. BeweU. 

dead raised up, and with what body do they come ? The 
apostle says to the questioner, " Thou fool, that which thou 
sowest is not quickened except it die. And that which 
thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but 
bare grain. It may chance of wheat or of some other 
grain. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, 
and to every seed his own body." Now the point in this 
illustration, I think is this : as the seed that we sow must 
die, or be decomposed in order to produce another body, 
and as the body produced is not the same grain that was 
sown, so the body of the Christian that comes forth from 
the grave will not be the same body that was deposited 
there. And I think this view is confirmed by what fol- 
loAvs. He says : ' ' All flesh is not the same flesh ; but 
there is one kind of flesh of men, and another flesh of 
beasts, and another of fishes, and another of birds. And 
there are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestial. But 
the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the ter- 
restial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and an- 
other glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: 
for one star difiereth from another star in glory." Now if 
so many things differ from each other in nature, we need 
not think it strange if the body raised from the grave dif- 
fers from the body deposited there. 

The apostle having now illustrated this question to pre- 
pare the mind to receive theiull answer, proceeds to tell 
the particulars in which the body raised from the grave 
will differ from the body that was deposited there. Hav- 
ing referred to the fact that so many things in nature dif- 
fer, he says : "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It 
(the body) is sown in corruption, it (the body) is raised in 
incorruption ; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory ; 
it is sowm in weakness, it is raised in power ; it is sown a 
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a nat- 
ural body, and there is a spiritual body." Here we have 
full answer to the question, '' how are the dead raised up, 
and with what body do they come ? " The answer is, 
they come with a spiritual body, one that will never cor- 
rupt again, one that will never die, one that is strong and 
glorious, one that will never grow feeble with age ; but re- 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewelt. 265 

main in immortal youth and beauty forever. One that 
will be permitted to enter through the gates into the city, 
and walk her golden streets, and will have right to the tree 
of life, and will be counted worthy to stand among the 
angels and move in the society of the blood-washed throng, 
and will be permitted to see the face of God and reign 
with him forever and ever. O, happy prospect ! O, glo- 
rious hope, to be permitted to live in anticipation of such 
a home. 

But the question may be asked, will the saints that are 
living on earth, at the coming of the Lord, be taken to 
heaven as they are? Paul says, ''The Lord himself shall 
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 
archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in 
Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and re- 
main, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 
to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with 
the Lord." 1 Thess. iv : 16. Here the apostle says the 
living saints will be caught up in the clouds, and will be 
forever with the Lord, but does not say whether they will 
be changed or caught up as they lived in this world, with 
their bodies of flesh and blood. But in 1 Cor. xv : 50-56, 
he says, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood 
cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; neither doth corrup- 
tion inherit incorruption. Behold I show you a mystery ; 
we shall not all sleep, but shall all be changed in a mo- 
ment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump : for 
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in- 
corruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corrupt- 
ible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on 
immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on 
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortal- 
ity, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy 
sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? " 

The apostle is here speaking of the everlasting kingdom, 
and says that flesh and blood cannot inherit it. When our 
first parents sinned, they were separated from God, and 
all their posterity have lived away from God, as the proph- 
et said, *' But your iniquities have separated between you 



266 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

and your God, and your sins have hid his, face from you 
that he will not hear." Isa. lix: 2. And as the apostle 
said, " We are always confident, knowing that whilst we 
are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." 
2 Cor. V : 6. No man in the flesh can see God. As long 
as he is in the flesh he remains away from the Lord. But 
the apostle tells us the living saints will be changed in 
the same moment that the dead saints are raised ; that 
they will be made incorruptible and immortal, and will be 
prepared for the presence of the Lord, and will be caught 
up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and be for- 
ever with the Lord. 

So all that obey the form of doctrine from the heart, 
and are made free from sin, and live the new life, are per- 
fectly safe whether they die and go down to the grave, or 
live on earth till the Lord comes. And dear reader, let 
me ask, have you obeyed from your heart the form of doc- 
trine, or are you still the servant of sin ? If so, let me 
ask what is your wages, what does sin propose to give you 
for your service ? The apostle says, the ' ' wages of sin is 
death." And it is not only the death of the body, but it 
is the second death, which consists in being cast into the 
lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Is this worth 
laboring for? Can you afford to spend your life for such 
a reward ? Surely not. Stop and think before it be too 
late. Be pursuaded to obey the form of doctrine, and 
you will be made free from the tyrant of sin, and become 
the servant of God, and then have your fruit unto holiness, 
and the end will be everlasting life. This is worth labor- 
ing for. It is worth spending your life for, to have ever- 
lasting life, and an inheritance that is incorruptible, one 
Ihat can never be defiled, and that will afford you perfect 
and uninterrupted happiness, world without end. 



, .^^ <C^:::> b^ , 



SERMON NO.XIII. 



THE CONVBRSION OP CORNELIUS. 

fN this sermon we propose to examine the conversion of 
Cornelius and his household; and as they were the 
first Gentiles that were converted under the preach- 
ing of the apostles, we desire to be very careful in exam- 
ing it ; for we are satisfied that it is not well understood 
in this age, and many seem to think that they were not 
converted as the people were on the day of Pentecost. 
Many teach that Cornelius and his kindred and his friends 
were converted by a direct outpouring of the Holy Spirit 
upon them, and that, therefore, all Gentiles must be con- 
verted in that way ; and in view of this, we will submit a 
few facts in reference to the great scheme of redemption 
provided by our Lord Jesus Christ for the fallen race of 
men. 

We find from the plain teaching of the Bible that it was 
for all nations. See Gen. xxii : 15-19: "And the angel 
of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second 
time, and said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord ; 
for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not with- 
held thy son, thine only son, that in blessing, I will bless 
thee ; and in multij^lying, I will multiply thy seed as the 
stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the 
seashore ; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his ene- 
mies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth 
be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice." And 
this promise referred to Christ as the seed through whom 
the blessing was to come. Gal. iii: 16, " Now to Abra- 
ham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not 
and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed 
which is Christ." From this we learn that the blessing 

(2m 



268 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

was to come to all nations through Christ, and when 
Christ came to provide the blessing he died for all. 2 Cor. 
y: 14, 15, "For the love of Christ constraineth us be- 
cause we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all 
dead. And that he died for all, that they which live 
shoilld not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him 
which died for them and rose again.' And after he died 
and rose again, he embraced all nations in his commission 
to his apostles. Matt, xxviii : 19, " Go ye therefore, and 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fa- 
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of 
the world." Mark 16 : 15 : *' And he said unto them. Go 
ye into all the world, and preach the gosjDcl to every creat- 
ure: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but 
he that believeth not shall be damned." Luke xxiv: 46: 
''And he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it 
behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the 
third day, and that rej)entance and remission of sins should 
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at 
Jerusalem." And he jDut no difierence between these na- 
tions. Acts XV : 7-10: "And when there had been 
much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them. Men 
and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God 
made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth 
should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God 
which knoweth the hearts bear them witness giving them 
the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us, and put no dif- 
ference between us (the Jews) and them (the Gentiles) 
purifying their hearts by faith," Eom. x : 11 : " For the 
Scripture saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be 
ashamed, for there is no difference between the Jew and 
the Greek ; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that 
call upon him." 1 Cor. xii : 13 : " For by one Spirit are 
we all bajDtized into one body, whether we be Jews or 
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free ; and have been all 
made to drink into one Spirit," And all nations were 
under sin. Rom. iii : 9: "What then? are we (the 
Jews) better than they (the Gentiles) ? Xo, in no wise. 



Sermojis by Jesse L. Seivell, 269 

For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that 
they are all under sin." Verse 23, " For all have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God." 

From these Scriptures we learn certain facts that we 
should bear in mind while examining the conversion of 
Cornelius. First, that the salvation presented in the gos- 
l^el of Christ is for all nations, is for all the world, and 
that Christ provided salvation for all when he died for all, 
when he, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man. 
Heb. ii : 9. " And when he gave himself a ransom for 
all." 1 Tim. ii: 6. "And when he by his own blood 
entered into the holy place not made with hands, and 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to 
God." Heb. ix: 11-15. Second, that in salvation there 
is no difference between the Jews and Gentiles ; that they 
have "all sinned and therefore all need salvation," and 
the commission which we have already cited shows that 
they are all to be saved alike, that they are all to believe 
the same facts, obey the same commands, and that all have 
the same promises. 

From the testimony now submitted, we have come to 
the conclusion, yea, are driven to the conclusion, that 
whatever the apostles required of sinners in one nation, 
they required the same of sinners in all nations. They 
had but one gospel to preach in all the world, and that 
one gospel contained the same conditions for all the world ; 
therefore, whatever Avas necessary to the conversion and 
salvation of sinners in one nation, was, and is still 
necessary to the conversion and salvation of sinners 
in all nations. "With these premises laid we are ready 
to take up the conversion of Cornelius, and examine 
it, and compare it with the other conversions recorded 
in Acts of Apostles. Acts x : 1-7 : " There was a certain 
man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band 
called the Italian band ; a devout man, and one that 
feared God with all his house ; which gave much alms to 
the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision 
evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God 
coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius; and 
when he looked on him he was afraid, and said, what is it 



270 Sermons hy Jesse L. SeweU. 

Lord? And lie said unto him, Thy prayers and thine 
alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now 
send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose surname 
is Peter. He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose 
house is by the sea-side. He shall tell thee what thou 
oughtest to do." 

In this, we have first the character of Cornelius given. 
And from it we learn that a man may be a devout man, and 
may fear God and give much alms to the people, and may 
be a praying man, yea, he may keep up a regular course 
of prayer, and yet not be a saved man. But why not ? 
Because these are not the conditions upon which the Lord 
has promised salvation to alien sinners under the gospel 
dispensation, as we shall show before we are done with this 
investigation. In the next place, in the Scripture above 
cited, we have the visit of the angel to Cornelius, which 
told him where Peter was, directed him to send for him, 
and promised him that he (Peter) would tell him what he 
ought to do ; or as Peter states it, Acts xi : 14, ' * He shaU 
tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be 
saved." 

Peter was to set forth in w^ords what Cornelius was to do 
to be saved, and therefore, there was something else to be 
done beside what he had already done, before he could be 
saved. But the next question is, will Peter with his pres- 
ent convictions, go with the men into this Gentile's house ? 
The Lord knew that he would not, and while the men 
were on their way, the Lord went to work with Peter to 
convince him that it Avas right for him to go. He first 
showed him a vision, a great sheet let down from heaven, 
wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, 
and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And he heard 
a voice saying unto him, arise, Peter, slay and eat. But 
Peter refused, although he Avas very hungry ; and I think 
the reason is that he saw nothing on that sheet that the law 
permitted a Jew to eat. While he thought on the vision 
what it should mean, the men that were sent from Cornel- 
ius arrived and inquired for Peter. **Then the Spirit 
said to him. Behold, three men seek for thee : arise, 
therefore, get thee down and go with them, doubting noth- 



Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 271 

ing; for I have sent them." This removes all his doubts 
and misgivings, and prepared him to go. Hence he arose 
and went to the house of Cornelius. And after Cornelius 
had related the vision of the angel to him, "Peter opened 
his mouth and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no 
respecter of persons. But in every nation he that feareth 
him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him." 
Peter was now convinced that the Gentiles had a right to 
the gospel of Christ; that the middle wall of partition 
between Jew and Gentile was now broken down, and that 
there was now no difference between them, but they were 
all to be saved through Christ alike. He then began and 
preached to them the facts concerning Christ ; his life and 
miracles, his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, 
and said, ' * To him gave all the prophets witness that through 
his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remis- 
sion of sins." But another question comes up at this point. 
Will the Jewish disciples permit the Gentiles to be bap- 
tized into the church with them ? The Lord knew that 
with their present convictions of right they would not. 
There were six of them here, who had accompanied Peter 
from Joppa. So the Lord went to work to convince them 
that the Gentiles had a right to the blessings of the gospel 
of Christ equal with the Jews, Hence the record says, 
** While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell 
on all them that heard the word. And they of the circum- 
cision which believed were astonished, as many as came 
with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured 
out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them 
speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered 
Peter, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not 
be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as 
we ? And did the Lord succeed in convincing these six 
brethren ? " Yes, the Lord's plans never fail. So they did 
not forbid water, and " Peter commanded them to be bap- 
tized in the name of the Lord." And after this, Peter and 
these six brethren went to Jerusalem. " And when he was 
come they that were of the circumcision contended with 
him, saying, thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and 
didst eat with them." Acts xi : 2, 3. 



272 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewed. 

So the church at Jerusalem was not yet convinced that 
the Gentiles had a right to the gospel, for they thought 
Peter had done wrong in going among them, and eating 
with them. Hence they contended with him. How then 
was the church at Jerusalem convinced that the Gentiles 
had a right to the gospel? The record says, "Peter re- 
hearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it 
by order unto them." He told them that he was in the city 
of Joppa praying, and that he saw a vision, a great sheet 
let down from heaven having on it all manner of beasts 
and fowls and creeping things, and that a voice said to him, 
Arise, Peter, slay and eat. But he refused, saying that 
nothing common or unclean had at any time entered into 
his mouth. But the voice said, what God hath cleansed 
that call thou not common ; and that this was repeated 
three times. He then rehearsed the coming of the three men 
from Cesarea, the Spirit bidding him to go with them, 
nothing doubting, and said, " Moreover these six brethren 
were with me, and we entered into the man's house." He 
also rehearsed the vision that Cornelius saw in his house, 
of an angel that told him to send for Peter. And he said, 
" As I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on 
us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the 
Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, 
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch 
then as God gave them, the like gift as he did unto us who 
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I, that I 
could withstand God ? When they heard these things, 
they held their peace and glorified God, saying, then hath 
God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." 
Acts 11th chapter. AYe now see that the church at Jeru- 
lem was convinced that the Gentiles were entitled to all 
the blessings of the gospel of Christ equally with the Jews. 
And after this no true disciple among the Jews ever op- 
posed the gospel being preached to the Gentiles. But from 
that time on the apostles and evangelists preached to the 
Gentiles as much as they did to the Jews. 

But another question now comes up in this investigation, 
and that is, what converted these Gentiles ? Was it this 
miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, or 



Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 273 

were they converted by believing and obeying what Peter 
preached to them ? And I am aware that many religious 
teachers in this age will answer that they were converted by 
this miraculous outpouring of the Spirit ; that it gave them 
their faith and repentance, and secured for them the remis- 
sion of their sins. They say that the first Gentiles were 
converted by an immediate operation of the Holy Spirit, 
and that, therefore, all Gentiles are converted in the same 
way. Hence, when they go to work for the conversion of 
sinners, they pray to the Lord to send down the Holy 
Spirit upon them, and quicken the dead faculties of their 
souls, and convert them. Therefore we must closely 
examine this theory and see if it is true. For if it is not 
true, it is deceiving and misleading more people than any 
other theory of conversion known to me ; for there are more 
people under its influence than any other. So let us look 
into it by the light of the Scriptures. 

This outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the house of Cor- 
nelius was evidently the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for 
Peter said it fell on them as on us at the beginning, and 
the pouring out of the Holy Ghost on the apostles on the 
day of Pentecost w^as certainly the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost. Christ said to them just before he ascended to 
heaven that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost 
not many days hence. Acts i : 5. And all Bible students 
known to me agree that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit 
upon the day of Pentecost w^as the fulfillment of this prom- 
ise, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the house of 
Cornelius made Peter remember this promise. See Acts 
xi : 16. This being settled, we ask, was the baptism of 
the Holy Ghost intended to convert those that were bap- 
tized with it ? Did it ever do this ? The first mention of 
the baptism of the Holy Ghost was made by John the Bap- 
tist. Matt, iii: 11: "I indeed baptize you with w^ater; 
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose 
shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with 
the Holy Ghost and with fire." The other evangelists 
record the same. There was no blessing promised in con- 
nection with it as a condition, and it is evident that the 
apostles were not converted by it ; for they were disciples 
18 



274 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

before they were baptized with it. But it was to endue 
them with power from on high. Christ had said to them, 
Ye shall receive j^ower after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you. But the question is still urged, Did not this 
outpouring of the Holy Ghost convert the Gentiles at the 
house of Cornelius? Is there any evidence that they were 
converted in any other way ? We answer there is. Acts 
XV : 7: "And when there had been much disputing, 
Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren, ye 
know how that a good while ago God made choice among 
us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of 
the gospel and believe." 

So, then, this outpouring of the Holy Ghost did not give 
them their faith, but they heard the word of the gospel at 
Peter's mouth, and believed. And this agrees with Paul, 
that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the w^ord of 
God. Rom. X : 17. And their hearts were not purified 
by the outpouring of the Spirit ; for Peter said, he put 
no difference betAveen us and them, purifying their hearts by 
faith. And the Holy Ghost did not give them repentance, 
for God granted them repentance unto life, and granted it 
through the preaching of Peter: for Christ said that 
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his 
name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 
xxiv : 47. And the Holy Ghost did not forgive their sins, 
for Peter said in his sermon to them, " To him (that is to 
Christ) gave all the prophets witness that through his name 
whosoever belie veth in him shall receive remission of sins." 
And *' Peter commanded them te be baptized in the name 
of the Lord." And baptism in the name of Jesus Christ 
is for the remission of sins. See Acts ii : 38. 

So the Gentiles were converted like the Jews, by hear- 
ing, believing, and obeying the gospel. But the question 
will be asked, what did the outpouring of the Spirit do for 
the Gentiles ? We have seen that it convinced the Jews, 
that the Gentiles had a right to the blessing of the gospel. 
But what did it do for the Gentiles ? We have shown 
that it did not convert them, but we have not shown what 
it did do for them. We will now endeavor to do this. 
Acts XV : 8: **And God which knoweth the hearts bare 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 275 

them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost as he did unto 
us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying 
their hearts by faith." From this we see that God bare 
them witness by giving them the Holy Ghost. The Gen- 
tiles were excluded by the law of Moses from the worship- 
ing assemblies 6f the Jews, and no doubt regarded them- 
selves as a cast-off people, having no interest in the God 
of the Jews. But they were convinced by this outpour- 
ing of the Spirit that they had a right to all the blessings 
of the gospel of Christ. 

But we are not done with the baptism of the Holy 
Spirit yet. We believe there are dangerous errors taught 
in reference to it that ought to be exposed. There are 
many who teach that in every place in the Scriptures 
where salvation or remission of sins is in any way con- 
nected with baptism, or in any way made to depend on it, 
that it is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and there is a 
strong tendency among religious teachers to repudiate 
water baptism altogether. I heard quite a prominent 
preacher in his church read the following Scriptures and 
make the following remarks (I use his own language). 
He read first the record of the commission as given by 
Mark; Mark xvi : 15: "And he said unto them, go ye 
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he 
that believeth not shall be damned." He then said, " JNIy 
congregation, if the baptism in this place is water baptism, 
then the Campbellites are right and we are wrong, and 
will all go to hell unless we change ; for salvation is un- 
mistakably connected with baptism in this passage, and 
there is no way to evade it." He next read. Acts ii : 38 : 
*' Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name 
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall re- 
ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost." And made the follow- 
ing remarks: "If the baptism in this passage is water 
baptism, the Campbellites are right and we are wrong. 
For remission of sins is here unquestionably connected 
with baptism and made to depend on it, and there is no 
way to evade it." Said he, " It is worse than nonsense to 
say that the word for, means because of, and no man of 



276 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

sense and learning will take that ground." He then read 
Acts xxii : 16 : ''And now why tarriest thou ? Arise and 
be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name 
of the Lord." And he said, "There is less chance to 
quibble around the plain meaning of this passage than 
either of the others. Whatever baptism this was, Saul's 
sins were washed away by it, and there is no way to get 
around it." He then spent the rest of the time in trying 
to prove that the baptism in all these passages was the 
baptism of the Holy Ghost, and argued that the baptism 
of the Holy Ghost is the baptism that saves sinners. And 
so far as I could judge, a large majority of the congrega- 
tion approved it. This doctrine is being preached all 
over our country, and believed by very many of the peo- 
ple. And as I am well satisfied that it is a dangerous 
doctrine, I propose to examine it in the light of the word 
of God. And first, by what rule or rules can we deter- 
mine in any and all places where baptism is mentioned, 
what baptism it is, whether it is the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost, or water baptism ? The first thing we call the at- 
tention of the reader to is this, that Christ is the only ad- 
ministrator of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is 
proven by the language of John the Baptist. When 
speaking of himself and Christ he said, " I indeed baptize 
you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after 
me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to 
bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
with fire. ' Matt, iii : 11. And that it was Christ that 
John was speaking of, is shown by Paul when he said, 
"John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, 
saying unto the people that they should believe on him 
which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 
Acts xix : 4. And as Christ is the only administrator of 
the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then when baptism is said 
to have been administered by men, it is water baptism, for 
men cannot baptize with the Holy Ghost. The baptism 
required in the commission is water baptism, for Christ 
cammanded the apostles to "teach all nations, baptizing 
them." Matt, xxviii: 19. 

Rule second — When any person is commanded to be 



Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 277 

baptized, it is water baptism ; for no one was ever com- 
manded to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. In that, 
they are entirely passive. They have no agency in the 
baptism of the Holy Ghost. This being true, the baptism 
of Pentecost, the baptism of the Gentiles at the house of 
Cornelius, and the baptism of Saul was water baptism ; for 
they were all commanded to be baptized. 

Kule third — When any one is said to be baptized in a 
name, or names, it is water baptism, for the baptism of the 
Holy Ghost was never administered in any name. So this 
rule shows that the baptism on Pentecost, the baptism of 
the Samaritans, the baptism at the house of Cornelius, and 
the baptism of the commission is water baptism. 

Rule fourth — When there is any blessing promised on 
condition that a person is baptized, it is water baptism ; for 
there was no blessing promised to any for being baptized 
with the Holy Ghost. This rule shows that the baptism 
in the commission by Mark was water baptism ; for he 
said, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." 
It also shows that the baptism on Pentecost, and the bap- 
tism of Saul, was water baptism, for the remission of sins 
was promised in connection with these baptisms. 

Rule fifth — When persons are represented as being ac- 
tively engaged in the matter of baptism, it is water bap- 
tism ; for in the baptism of the Holy Ghost they were en- 
tirely passive. This rule shows that the baptism of Lydia, 
and the jailor, and the Corinthians, and the twelve at 
Ephesus, was water baptism ; for it is said of Lydia that 
she attended to the things spoken by Paul, and that she 
and her household were baptized. Acts xvi: 15. And it 
is said of the jailor that he took them and washed their 
stripes and was baptized he and all his straightway. Verse 
33. And it is said many of the Corinthians hearing, be- 
lieved and were baptized. Acts xviii : 8. And it is said 
of the twelve at Ephesus, w^hen they heard this, they were 
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts xix : 5. 
So we see that all these were actively engaged, that they 
all did something in the matter, and they were evidently 
baptized by men. Paul says he baptized some of the Cor- 
inthians. 1 Cor. i: 14-17. 



278 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

Rule sixth — When baptism is said to introduce the per- 
sons baptized into any special relationship, it is water bap- 
tism, for the baptism of the Holy Ghost is nowhere said to 
bring the persons baptized with it into any special rela- 
tionship. So we conclude that when Paul said, " Know 
ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus 
Christ were baptized into his death, therefore we are 
buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ 
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, 
even so we also should walk in newness of life," (Rom. vi : 
3, 4) and when he said to the Galatians, '* For as many 
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on 
Christ," (Gal. iii : 27) that he was speaking of water bap- 
tism. And when he said, " Buried with him in baptism, 
wherein also ye are risen with him," (Col. ii : 12) he was 
speaking of water baptism. Indeed we feel sure of this, 
for the baptism of the Holy Ghost is nowhere said to bring 
us into Christ, or into his death, and is nowhere spoken of 
as a burial and resurrection. And when Peter said, "The 
like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us," 
(1 Peter iii : 21) he was surely speaking of water baptism, 
for he ascribed salvation to it, and salvation is nowhere 
ascribed to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. 

AVe have now submitted six rules by which to distin- 
guish between the baptism of the Holy Ghost and water 
baptism, and we do not think that they can be set aside. 
And by applying them we have found that in all cases 
where persons are represented as being baptized under the 
preaching of the apostles to the unconverted, and in their 
letters to disciples, it was water baptism. And we think 
we have shown that this teaching that in all cases where 
salvation is any w^ay ascribed to baptism, it is the baptism of 
the Holy Ghost, is radically wrong, and therefore deceiving 
people, and that it ought to be stopped. There are really 
but two cases of the baptism of the Holy Ghost on record : 
the one on the day of Pentecost, and the other at the 
house of Cornelius, and they were both miraculous, as any 
one can see by examining them. In regard to. the first 
we read that ''when the day of Pentecost was fully come 
they (the apostles) were all with one accord in one place. 



Sermons by Jesse L, Sewell. 279 

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a 
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they 
were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven 
tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to 
speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utter- 
ance." Acts ii : 1-5. Now, we cannot conceive of any 
thing more miraculous than this. First, the sound as of a 
rushing mighty wind is one of the most alarming and ter- 
rific sounds that ever strikes the ears of mortals. Then 
the cloven tongues resembling lambent flame sitting on 
each of them, was indeed very wonderful. And then 
they, though unlearned men, were suddenly enabled to 
speak in all the languages of the earth, was one of the 
most stupendous miracles ever performed among men. 

From this we may draw some idea of the miraculous 
nature of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And Peter said 
that the out-pouring of the Spirit at the house of Corne- 
lius was like this, " that the Holy Ghost fell on them as on 
us at the beginning." The baptism of the Holy Ghost, as 
well as all other miraculous manifestations of the Holy 
Spirit had an object to accomplish in the world, and when 
that object was accomplished it was no longer neces- 
sary and was therefore withdrawn. It was necessary 
in the establishment of the church, but not in its per- 
petuation. When once perfected, it was self-perpetuating. 
These miracles were necessary until the perfect law of 
liberty was given and committed to record, and then ev- 
erything that was necessary for the conversion of sinners 
could be done under the direction of that law, as also every- 
thing necessary for the government of the church was con- 
tained in that law. So when the gospel was fully preached 
and confirmed by miracles, and the church was perfected, 
and the perfect law written out, the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost and spiritual gifts had accomplished the end for 
which they were given, and then they ceased. There are 
no baptisms of the Holy Ghost now, nor any miraculous 
manifestations of the Spirit. And therefore we are con- 
firmed in the conclusion that water baptism is the one bap- 
tism that was continued after all miracles ceased; that 



280 Sermons by Jesse L, SetueU. 

water baptism is for the reniission of sins ; that it introduces 
the penitent believer into Christ, into the benefits of his 
death ; that God through water baptism, as the appointed 
means, delivers the penitent belie^vers from the power of 
darkness, and translates them into the kingdom of his dear 
Son, in whom they have redemption through his blood, 
even the forgiveness of sins. They are then new creat- 
ures ; old things are passed away, all things have become 
new. They are free from condemnation and enjoy all 
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, are sealed 
with the Holy Spirit of promise, and enjoy the earnest of 
their everlasting inheritance. Their prayers are now heard 
and answered, and if they abide in Christ until death, 
they will die in the Lord, and rest from their labors and 
their works will follow them. And when the Lord de- 
scends from heaven with a shout and the voice of the Arch- 
angel and the trump of God, they will be raised from the 
dead to die no more, but will be caught up in the clouds 
to meet the Lord in the air and so shall they ever be with 
the Lord. That this may be my happy lot, together -with 
all the ransomed of the Lord, is my prayer in Jesus' name. 



^^^^@^-,v^^ 



SERMON NO. XIV. 



^^T^ 

M 



MORAL AND POSITIVE LAW. 

|0W Naaman, captain of the host of the king of 
Syria, was a great man with his master, and hon- 
orable, because by him the Lord had given deliv- 
erance unto Syria ; he was a mighty man in valor, but he 
was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by compa- 
nies, and had brought away captive out of the land of 
Israel a little maid ; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 
And she said unto her mistress. Would God that my mas- 
ter was with the prophet that is in Samaria ! for he would 
recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told 
his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of 
the laud of Israel. And the king of Syria said. Go to, go, 
and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he 
departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six 
thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And 
he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying. Now 
when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have there- 
with sent Naamau my servant to thee, that thou mayest 
recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when 
the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his 
clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, 
that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his 
leprosy? Wherefore consider, I pray, and see how he 
seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was so, when Elisha 
the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent 
his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying. Wherefore 
hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and 
he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naa- 
man came with his horses and his chariot, and stood at the 
door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messen- 

(281) 



282 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

ger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, 
and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be 
clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and 
said. Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, 
and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and 
strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are 
not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than 
all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be 
clean ? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his 
servants came near, and spake unto him, and said. My 
father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, 
would"St thou not have done it? How much rather then, 
when he saith to thee. Wash, and be clean? Then went 
he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, ac- 
cording to the saying of the man of God ; and his flesh 
came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was 
clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all 
his company, and came, and stood before him: and he 
said. Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the 
earth, but in Israel : now therefore, I pray thee, take a 
blessing of thy servant." 2 Kings v : 1-16. 

We desire to make a few remarks in reference to this 
connection of Scripture before we attempt a general applica- 
tion of it to our subject. The leprosy was a very loathsome 
disease, one that none of* the physicians could cure, and 
therefore dreaded more than any other disease. When a 
person had the leprosy he expected it to cling to him until 
it undermined his constitution and resulted in death ; and 
this, I think accounts for the readiness with which he 
complied with the wish of the little maid. But even great 
men sometimes make mistakes ; and here both Kaaman 
and the king of Syria made a mistake. The king of Syria 
sent him to the hing of Israel, instead of the i:)rophet. The 
little maid said nothing about the king of Israel at all, but 
said, "Would God my master was with the prophet that 
is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy." 
And his going to the king came near disappointing all his 
hopes of a cure ; for the king thought it an insult, and 
became so angry that he rent his clothes. And when 
kings who are always attended by armed force become 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 283 

angry enough to rend their garments, there is great dan- 
ger that the one who has so offended him, be slain. And 
if the prophet had not heard of the matter, and sent a 
messenger to the king, and required Naaman to come to 
him, no doubt ^"aaman and all his company would either 
have been slain, or captured, or driven from the city. At 
least, I am sure he never would have been cured of the 
leprosy by the king. And I think that very many people 
make very serious mistakes in our day. When they start 
out to seek salvation or the remission of sins, they go to 
the mourners' bench or altar of prayer to find it. And we 
think they will be as much disai)pointed as Naaman was 
when he went to the king instead of to the prophet. But 
Naaman was directed by his king to go there, and so the 
people are directed in our day by their their teacher to go 
to the mourners' bench. But Christ and the apostles have 
said just as little about the people going to the mourners' 
bench to find pardon, as the little maid said about Naaman 
going to the king ; that is, just nothing at all. 

But we wish to state a few facts, or lay a few premises 
before making an application of this connection of Script- 
ure to our subject. And first, God in creating the human 
family conferred on ttem certain powers and capacities, and 
gave ihem the control of those powers, and required them 
to exercise those powers in obedience to him. God has 
conferred on men and women both mental and physical 
power ; and as he has given them the control over these, 
he holds them responsible for the manner in which they 
exercise them. And God never makes his blessings to 
man depend upon a mental act alone or upon a physical 
act alone. But his requirements are always of such a 
character as to require both mental and physical action. 
And we call attention here to the fact that when God 
makes any blessing depend on any number of conditions,- 
he never places a mental act as the last act ; that is the act 
that connects them with the promise. But he always 
places a physical act as the last and connecting link that 
connects with the promise. We here submit another fact, 
and that is this: that the blessing promised is never con- 
tained in the things the people are required to do. But 



284 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

the things required to be done are only the conditions upon 
which the Lord promises the blessing. But so far as re- 
ceiving and enjoying the blessing is concerned, it is the 
same thing as if the blessing was contained in what we do ; 
for if we never comply with the conditions, the Lord will 
never confer the blessing upon us. But when we comply 
with all the conditions, we do not purchase the blessing by 
paying an equivalent for it, and thus bring God under ob- 
ligation to us ; we only discharge a duty that we justly 
owe to him. For to "fear God and keep his command- 
ments is the whole duty of man." Eccl. xii: 13. And 
Christ said, " So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all 
those things whiclj are commanded you, say, AVe are un- 
profitable servants : we have done that which was our duty 
to do." Luke xvii : 10. So then when we do all that is 
commanded us, we only do that which is our duty to do, and 
do not purchase salvation. Salvation is by grace. Eph. ii : 
8, ' ' For by grace are ye saved through faith ; and that 
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Xot of works, 
lest any man should boast." If salvation was in what we 
are commanded to do, we should save ourselves, and would 
have a right to claim the glory. But as salvation is not 
in what we do, we are constrained to give all the glory to 
God, and count ourselves unprofitable servants. And we 
here submit another fact : that God's laws or precepts are 
of two kinds, which, for the sake of being better under- 
stood, we dominate moral and positive. God's appoint- 
ments, or the conditions on which he has made his bless- 
ings depend under every covenant have contained both 
moral and positive precepts. And it is a fact that when 
God made any blessing depend on conditions with which 
tlie people were to comply, he never placed a moral pre- 
cept as the last and connecting link that connected them 
with the promise, but always a positive one. But it will 
be asked, what is moral law, and what is positive law ? 
and wherein do they differ from each other ? We will now 
endeavor to answer these questions. 

Moral precepts are such as grow out of our relationships 
to our fellow beings, and are such as contain something 
morally good within them ; such as, that when we comply 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 285 

with them, good Avill result from it to some one or more 
of our fellow beiags. Moral precepts have between them 
and their results the relation of cause and effect. Moral 
precepts are such as these: "Thou shalt not kill; thou 
shalt not steal ; thou shalt not bear false witness." Such as 
these also: "Husbands, love your wives: wives, obey 
your husbands : children, obey your parents : fathers pro- 
voke not your children to wrath, but. bring them up in the 
nurture and admonition of the Lord." Now, we can 
readily see that all these precepts are good in themselves, 
and that they grow out of our relations to each other. 
And we can as readily see that when we observe them, 
that good will result to some one or more of our fellow 
beings, and that if we transgress them, some one or more 
of our fellow beings will be injured. If we keep the first 
class mentioned — thou shalt not kill, steal, or bear false 
witness — its tendency is to promote the welfare and happi- 
ness of all around us. But if we violate them, injury will 
result. If we kill, not only the one killed is injured, but 
all his friends and relatives are injured to the extent that 
their happiness and welfare was connected with him. So 
of all the rest. And if w^e observe the second class men- 
tioned — husbands love your wives ; wives obey your hus- 
bands — we can readily see that if the husband loves his 
Avife he will treat her kindly, and her happiness will be 
promoted. But if he does not love her, he will not give 
her that attention that he should, and she is injured. And 
if she does not obey him, it produces similar results. And 
so of all the rest of this class. Any precept that, when 
observed, will promote the happiness of those we are con- 
nected with, or that when violated will injure them, is a 
moral precept. 

Positive laws or precepts are such as grow^ out of our re- 
lations to God, and such as do not contain the relation of 
cause and effect ; such as when kept or violated do not 
benefit or injure others ; such as that we cannot see any 
thing good that would result from the observance of them, 
or any evil that would result from violating them. And 
indeed there is neither good nor evil in them when con- 
nected with the authority and promises of God. But they 



286 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 



are intimately connected with the authority and promises 
of God, and that gives to them the greatest possible im- 
portance ; so that we cannot say that they are not neces- 
sary, or that it is not essential that observe them, without 
setting aside the authority of God, and forfeiting our right 
to his promises. Positive law embraces all forms, ordi- 
nances and ceremonies under the law of Moses. The com- 
mand to keep all the Sabbaths, the weekly Sabbath, the 
yearly Sabbath, and the year of jubilee ; the command to 
observe all feasts required, in the law, the feast of the pass- 
over, the feast of weeks, and the feast of tabernacle ; the 
command to offer all the various offerings under the law 
were positive laws. Under Christianity, the requirement 
to confess Christ with the mouth, and to be baptized, are 
positive precepts to the sinner. To pray, to observe the 
Lord's day, to assemble on the first day of the week, to 
take the Lord's supper, are all positive precepts to the dis- 
ciples. Now, we can readily see that to observe anyone 
of the above catalogue could not benefit anyone else, nor 
to reject them injure any one else. There can be no rea- 
son found for obeying a positive precept only the authority 
of God. We cannot see any good that would result from 
it to induce us to obey it. Therefore positive precepts are 
the only true tests of our loyalty to God. Nothing but 
strong and unwavering faith in God and true reverence 
for his authority, will influence persons to obey a com- 
mand that they can see no other reason for, only his au- 
thority. But this is a sufficient reason for all men and 
w'omen of strong faith. All they desire to know is, that 
the Lord has commanded it, and that it is applicable to 
them, and they will obey it whether they see any reason 
in it or not. Moral precepts cannot be such a test of our 
loyalty to God, for persons might be induced to obey them 
from the good that would result to themselves, without 
any reference to the authority of God. 

We wish now to make an application of the connection 
of Scripture at the beginning of this sermon to the above 
facts and premises. And first, there was a mental action. 
Naaman had strong enough faith in the word of the little 
maid to determine to go to the prophet ; his faith and his 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewdL 287 

decision were mental actions. But it required physical 
action to go, and physical action to obey the prophet. So 
he arose and went ; but when he came to the house of the 
prophet, and he sent his servant to tell him to go and wash 
in Jordan seven times, he had no faith in it, and became 
angry, and determined not to do it. Here his mind acted 
again in determining not to do it, and his body acted again 
when he turned and went away in a rage. And he went 
away a leper just as he came. He was, so far, not bene- 
fitted by coming. But when his servants said. Father, if 
the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou 
not have done it? — this touched the proper cord of his 
heart; for he knew that if the prophet had told him to do 
some great thing, he would have done it. He had come 
prepared to make a very great sacrifice, if the prophet 
required it. He brought a vast amount of money along. 
He had ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of 
gold, and ten changes of raiment. One talent of silver was 
worth sixteen hundred dollars of our money. And when 
his servant said. How much rather, when he saith unto 
thee, wash and be clean ? he reconsidered the matter, and 
determined to obey the prophet. Here his mind acted 
again, and he went down and dipped himself seven times 
in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God, and 
his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he 
was clean. What the prophet commanded him to do was 
physical action, and it was positive law, and connected him 
with the promise that he should be clean. But the ques- 
tion comes up. Was the virtue or power that cleansed him 
in the water, or in the act of dipping in the water ? It 
certainly was not in either of them, but it was the God of 
Israel that cleansed him. He was conscious of this, and so 
he returned to the prophet, and said. Behold, I know that 
there is no God in all the earth but in Israel, and he deter- 
mined not to worship any other God. Thus, we see that 
it was not what he did that cleansed him. These were only 
the conditions upon which God promised to cleanse him, 
and if he had not complied with them, God would not 
have cleansed him. And although it is clear that the 
power was not in what he did that cleansed him, yet so far 



288 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

as his being cleansed was coucerned, it is tlic same thing as 
if it was ; for God would not have cleansed him at all if he 
had not done them. But if he had believed that what he 
did cleansed him, he would have claimed all the glory of 
his cleansing ; or if he had believed the virtue was in the 
water, he would have given the glory to the water. But 
as it was, he gave all the glory to the God of Israel. 

We will now present the conditions of salvation from sin 
under the new covenant, as taught by Christ and the apos- 
tles. According to the teaching of Christ, all had to 
believe on the Son of God, for he said, "God so loved the 
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever 
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn 
the world ; but that the world through him might be saved. 
He that believeth in him is not condemned ; but he that 
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not 
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 
John iii : 16-19. ''He that believeth on the Son hath 
everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall 
not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 
iii : 36. These are enough to show that none can be saved 
under the gospel dispensation unless they believe on the 
Son of God. This was the labor of the apostles in all their 
preaching to sinners, and in all they wrote concerning the 
life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. And 
Christ made it a condition of salvation when he said, "He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that 
believeth not shall be damned." Mark xvi : 16. And the 
apostles said, " Without faith it is impossible to please him : 
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that 
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb. 
xi : 6. This is enough to settle the question, that faith in 
the Son of God is a condition of salvation, without which 
the sinner cannot be saved at all. The Savior made 
repentance a condition of salvation, without which the sin- 
ner cannot be saved, when he said, '' Except ye repent, ye 
shall all likewise perish." Luke xiii : 3-5. Also when he 
said, ''That repentance and remission of sins should be 
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jeru- 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 289 

salem.' Luke xxiv: 47. The apostles made repentance 
a condition of salvation, when he said to believers, "Re- 
pent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of 
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive 
the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts ii : 38. Also when he 
said, " Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your 
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall 
come from the j^resence of the Lord." Acts iii : 19. The 
Savior made confession a condition of salvation when he 
said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men^ 
bim will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven ; 
but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also 
deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matt, x : 32. 
The apostle also made confiession a condition of salvation, 
when he said, " If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the 
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath 
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 
X : 9. The Savior made baptism a condition of salvation, 
when he said, " Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all 
nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of Holy Ghost." Matt, xxviii : 20. And 
when he said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved : but he that believeth not shall be condemned." 
Mark xvi : 16, Revised Version. The apostle made bap- 
tism a condition of pardon, wlie^i he said, " Repent and be 
ibaptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for 
ithe remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Ghost." Acts ii : 38. Ananias made it a condition 
<of pardon, when he said to Saul, "Why tarriest thou? 
.arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on 
Ihe name of the Lord." Acts xxii : 16. 

That the above are all conditions of salvation, without 
which the sinner cannot be saved, cannot be denied by 
any one who believes the New Testament. And in these 
conditions, faith and the godly sorroAv that works repen- 
tance are acts of the mind, and confession and baptism are 
acts of the body. So we have in these conditions both 
mental and physical action. Faith and repentance are 
moral precepts, while confession and baptism are positive 
precepts. And according to our premises, God never 
19 



290 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

places a mental act as the last and connecting link that 
connects one with the promise ; nor does he ever place a 
moral precept as the last and connecting link that connects 
with the promise. This is true to the letter in these con- 
ditions. The mental acts and moral precepts are first ; the 
physical acts and positive precepts are last, and connect 
with the promise of remission of sins and the gift of the 
Holy Spirit. And whenever baptism and any one of the 
other conditions are connected together, baptism is always 
last. When Christ said, '' He that belie veth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved," believe is first, baptism last. When- 
repentance and baptism are placed together, repentance is 
first, baptism last, as when Peter said, ' ' Repent and be 
baptized every one of you." When confession and bap- 
tism are placed together, confession is first, and baptism 
last, as in the case of the Ethiopian eunuch. And permit 
me here to say that whenever any blessing is made to 
depend on a given number of conditions, the receiving of 
that blessing is always made to depend on the performance 
of the last act, or complying with the last condition. In 
Naaman's case his cleansing was made to depend on his 
dipping himself seven times in Jordan, and more directly 
upon the seventh dipping than any other. It is true that 
he could not dip the seventh time till he had dipped six 
times. But he could have dipped six times and stopped, 
and not have dipped the seventh time at all. And if he 
had done this, he would have stopped short of the promise ; 
for nothing but the seventh dipping could bring him to 
the promise. So in his case the whole depended on the 
performance of the last act. And in the conditions of par- 
don under the gospel dispensation, as we have clearly 
shown, baptism is the last and connecting link that con- 
nects the penitent believer with the promise of remission 
of sins. And until some one proves from the Bible that 
Naaman was cleansed before he dipped the seventh time, 
I must contend that the sinner cannot be pardoned until 
he is baptized ; for baptism stands in the place in the con- 
ditions of salvation under the gospel dispensation, that the 
seventh dipping did in Naaman's case. And we might 
illustrate and confirm this by a number of other cases 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 291 

recorded in the Bible. But we will present only one 
more. 

In the sixth chapter of Joshua we have the account of 
the taking of Jericho by Israel. And that they might get 
into the city, it was necessary that the walls around it 
should be broken down. And in order that this might be 
done, the Lord commanded the children of Israel to com- 
pass the city about, the priests bearing the ark and blow- 
ing trumpets of rams' horns for seven days, and the seventh 
day that they should compass it seven times, and then the 
trumpets were to give a long sound, and the people were 
to shout wi^h a great shout, and the walls should fall down 
flat. Now the shout of the people in this case was the 
connecting link that connected them with the promise that 
the w^alls should fall down, and the importance of the whole 
turned on the shout of the people. For, notwithstanding 
they obeyed all that the Lord commanded, for seven days 
the walls stood in all their strength until the people gave 
the shout. Then the walls fell down flat to the ground 
and Israel took the city. And in the conditions of salva- 
tion from sin, under the reign of Christ, baptism stands 
in the very place that the shout of the people did in throw- 
ing down the walls of Jericho. And it is as easy to prove 
that the walls did fall before the people shouted as it is to 
prove that sinners are saved, under the reign of Christ, 
before baptism. Yet baptism is reasoned away and pro- 
nounced non-essential. Just so, Naaman reasoned when 
required to dip seven times in Jordan, saying Abana and 
Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, are better than all the 
waters of Israel ; may I not wash in them and be clean ? 
and he turned and went away in a rage. But he remained 
a leper until he went and dipped seven times in Jordan, 
according to the saying of the man of God. 

And we greatly fear that all who reason baptism away 
will remain unsaved, until like T<"aaman, their minds are 
changed, and they go, and are -buried with Christ in bap- 
tism according to the sayings of the men of God, under 
the reign of Christ. Indeed we cannot see how it can be 
otherwise ; men and women seem much more inclined to 
reason away positive laws than moral precepts ; and why 



292 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

is it so ? is it becanse moral precepts are of more impor- 
tance and of higher authority than positive precepts ? 
Moral precepts cannot be of higher authority, for both 
came from the same God. But are they of more impor- 
tance ? I cannot see how they can be, for moral precepts 
grow out of our relation to each other, and positive law 
grows out of our relation to God ; and is not our relation 
to God our highest relation ? But, in order to more fully 
determine the importance of obeying all of God's com- 
mands, and the danger of tampering with them, we will 
examine a few cases of obedience and the results that fol- 
lowed, and a few cases of disobedience and the j-esults that 
followed. The command of God to Abraham, to oiler his 
son Isaac a burnt oflering, was a positive command, and 
one for which Abraham could see no reason only the 
authority of God. Everything else was against obedience 
to that command. It was indeed a severe test of his loy- 
alty to God. The strongest ties of nature say do not obey. 
But the great strength of his faith and the strong sense of 
duty prevailed, and he determined to obey. He took his 
son and went to the place and built an altar, and laid the 
wood in order, and bound his son and laid him upon the 
wood, and took the knife to slay him. And had his hand 
not been stayed by a voice from heaven, Isaac would have 
been, in a moment, a bleeding vi(;tim. 

But this was enough. God accepted it as obedience, 
and said to him, "by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, 
for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not with- 
held thy son, thine only son, that in blessing, I will bless 
thee, and in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed as the 
stars of heaven, and as the sand that is upon the seashore, 
and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemy. And in 
thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed, because 
thou hast obeyed my voice." See Gen. 22 chapter. And 
the children of Israel were cured of the bite of fiery ser- 
pents, in obedience to a positive law. See Num. xxi : 9. 
A man that was boni blind was restored to sight when he 
obeyed a positive precept. John ix. Adam was separated 
from God, the tree of life, and the garden of Eden, and 
damned to a life of sorrow and labor, and finallv to death, 



Sermons hy Jesse L. Sewell. 293 

together with all his posterity, for disobeyiug a positive 
coiumaud. See Gen. ii, iii. Nadab and Abihu were 
burned to death by fire from heaven, for ofiering strange 
fire before the Lord, which was a violation of positive law. 
Lev. X : 1. Saul lost his kingdom for refusing to obey a 
positive law. I Sam. xv. Uzza was struck dead for tak- 
ing liold of the Ark of God, which was positively forbidden 
to all except the priests. II. Sam. vi : 6. From these, 
we see the danger of tampering Avith God's positive laws. 
And death was the penalty for the violation of many of 
God's moral precepts ; such as murder, stealing, adultery 
and many others. But as moral precepts grow out of our 
relations to each other, God did not inflict the penalty 
with his own hand as he did for the violation of positive 
law, which grows out of our relations to him, but required 
the judges to inflict the penalty for the violation of moral 
law. 

And permit me to ask all alien sinners that are disposed 
to reject confession or baptism as non-essentials, to remem- 
ber the fate of Xadab and Abihu, of Saul and Uzza, before 
you decide to reject them. And let me say to all disciples, 
who are forsaking the assembling of themselves together, 
or are neglecting prayer, thanksgiving and the Lord's sup- 
per, to remember the fate of these men, and also the fate 
of the fifty thousand three score and ten men that were 
smitten for looking into the ark, when the Philistines had 
sent it back. I. Sam. vi : 19. And in conclusion let me 
say, that there is no safety for the fallen sons and daugh- 
ters of men, only for them to obey all God's commandments, 
both moral and positive, to the best of their ability ; for in 
keeping them there is absolute safety from all enemies. 
For though they die in the conflict, the Lord will raise 
them from the dead and crown them with glory, honor and 
immortality beyond the reach of sorrow, pain and death. 
And that we may all reach an eternal home, is my prayer. 



SERMON No. XV. 




THB ATONEMENT OR RECONCILIATION. 

'E regard this subject as one of vast importance, and 
one that we think is not well understood by many 
religious people of this age, and one about which 
there is a good deal of controversy. We therefore wish to 
examine it in the light of the Bible. 

The word atonement is found but once in the common 
version. Rom. v : 11, " And not only so, but we also joy 
in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have 
now received the atonement." And in all other versions 
in my possession, it is rendered reconciliation. It is so 
rendered in the Living Oracles, the American Bible Union, 
the late English Revision, and in the life and epistles of 
St. Paul, by Conybeare and Howson. If this rendering is 
correct, the word atonement is not in the Xew Testament 
at all. But it is found many times in the Old Testament, 
and I shall use it sometimes in this sermon. 

As a starting point in this sermon, I submit the follow- 
ing Scripture : 2 Cor. v : 18-21, "And all things are of 
God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, 
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To-wit, 
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- 
self; not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath 
committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Xow then, 
we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech 
you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled 
to God ; for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew 
no sin, that we might be made the ricrhteousness of God in 
him." 

This connection sets the subject of reconciliation clearly 
before us. But notwithstanding it so clearly shows that it 
(294) 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewett. ' 295 

is the world that is reconciled to God, there are many 
religious teachers in this age who tell us that God must be 
reconciled to us, and that it was for that purpose that 
Christ died. And it is found in some of the standard books 
of this age ; for instance, we find in the discipline of the 
Methodist Church, South, ch. 1 and sec. 1, page 10, this 
article : ' ' The Son who is the word of the father, the very 
and eternal God, of one substance with the father, took 
man's nature in the w^omb of the blessed virgin, so that 
two whole ajid perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead 
and manhood were joined together in one person, never to 
be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very man, 
who truly suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile 
his FatJier to us." (The italics are mine.) 

This article teaches us that Christ died to reconcile his 
father to us ; and out of this teaching has grown the mod- 
ern prayer system of conversion ; and the advocates of this 
system proceed upon the principle that God is not yet fully 
reconciled to the sinner ; that although Christ w^as crucified 
for that purpose, he did not fully accomplish it, and that 
there is something for the people to do in order that he 
may be fully reconciled to the sinner, and pardon and save 
him. And if there is any meaning in this prayer system 
of conversion at all, the object is to influence God. It 
proceeds upon the principle that God is not at the time 
willing to save the sinner, but that through the prayers of 
the sinner himself, and the prayers of Christians for him 
that he can be so far influenced as to become willing to 
save him. But before we take the ground that the prayer 
system is wrong, let us test the doctrine on which it rests ; 
that is, the teaching that it is God that is to be reconciled 
to the world. If this is true, and Christ did not fully 
accomplish it, then there is some reason, at least, in the 
prayer system. What then do the apostles teach on the 
subject of reconciliation ? In the connection that I have 
read, the apostle said that God was in Christ, reconciling 
the world unto himself. Here the apostle teaches that it 
is the world that must be reconciled, and not God. And 
again : Rom. v : 10, "For if when we were enemies, we 
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much 



296 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 



more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. 
Again: Col. i: 21-23, "And you that were sometime 
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet 
now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through 
"death, to present you holy, and unblamable, and unreprov- 
able in his sight." But this places the two books, that we 
have quoted from, in direct conflict with each other. The 
Methodist discipline says that Christ truly suflfered, was 
crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile his Father unto us. 
But the Bible says that we are reconciled to .God by the 
death of his Son. We see then that these books plainly 
contradict each other. And now what is to be done ? 
Which of them must we believe ? Which of them is of 
the highest authority? We answer that the Bible is a 
revelation from God, and therefore, by the authority of 
God, which is the highest authority knoAvn to man. The 
Methodist discipline is from John Wesley and the bishops 
of the Methodist church, and claims to be founded on the 
experience of a long series of years. Reader, which of 
these books will you believe ? As for me, I will believe 
the Bible. And as the Bible teaches that it is the people 
that are to be reconciled to God, we will believe it, and 
endeavor to learn from it how sinful men and women are 
to be reconciled. And in order to do this we ask, what 
does the word reconciliation mean ? Webster says that it 
means a renewal of friendship, after disagreement or 
enmity. And this we take as the true meaning, when per- 
sons or parties that have once been friends have disagreed, 
and are at enmity, and friendship is again restored. They 
are then reconciled. Sometimes parties are at variance 
when there is nothing to prevent them from approaching 
each other, and proposing terms of reconciliation to each 
other, and in that way becoming reconciled. But again it 
may occur that parties may be at variance when the cir- 
cumstances are such they cannot consistently approach 
each other and be reconciled in that way, and then in order 
to reconciliation there must be a meditator that can remove 
all obstacles out of the way, and thus reconcile them. 

But what is the oflice or work of a mediator ? Webster 
says a mediator is one who interposes between parties at 



Sennons by Jesse L. Sewell. 297 

variance, to reconcile them. A mediator then must have 
certain qualifications in order to be successful. In the first 
place he must not be a party concerned, or in any way 
involved in the diflSculty. He must be also one that can 
api)roach each party on an equal footing with them, not 
being superior or inferior to them, and then he can influ- 
ence both parties. Sometimes parties are at variance when 
they are equal with each other. Then it is not difficult to 
find one that can mediate between them. But it may be 
that parties may be at enmity when one party is greatly 
superior to the other. Then it is more diflacult to find one 
that can act as mediator between them. He must be one 
that can approach the superior party upon an equal foot- 
ing with him, and one that can assimilate himself to the 
circumstances of the inferior party, and approach him on 
an equality with him. Parties may be at variance when 
one party is innocent, and the other wholly in the 
wrong. In that case the innocent party has the right to 
propose the terms of reconciliation to the guilty party. 
And if a mediator is necessary, it is the right of the inno- 
cent party to send the mediator to the guilty party, to 
remove any obstacle that may intervene, and to present to 
him the terms of reconciliation oflTered by the innocent 
party. And if the guilty accepts and complies with them, 
the parties are reconciled. But if he rejects them, the 
enmity continues ; it is just such a case as we have last 
described, that we have to do with in this sermon. 

God and man are the parties, and it will be conceded by 
all that God, the Creator, is far superior to man, and that 
God is innocent and man is wholly in the wrong. Man 
has become alienated and an enemy to God by wicked 
works, and we now ask who could be mediator betw^een God 
and men ? Could any man act as mediator ? By no 
means, for all men are concerned, and involved in the 
difficulty, and no man can approach God upon an equal 
footing with him. Could angels be mediators betw^een God 
and man ? AVe answer, by no means ; for they are not 
equal with the great Jehovah, nor can they assimilate them- 
selves to the circumstances of fallen men, so as to approach 
them on an equality with them. We see then that no 



298 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

man on earth, nor angel in heaven could be mediator 
between God and men. We then in great earnestness ask, 
who could be mediator ? The great apostle to the Gentiles 
has found the answer, 1 Tim. ii : 5, '' For there is one God, 
and one mediator between ( rod and men, the man Christ 
Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in 
due time." We learn from this, that Christ is the mediator, 
and that there is but one, and the question comes up, does 
he possess all the qualifications requisite to a mediator? 
Let us see ; Phil, ii : 5-9, '* Let this mind be in you, which 
was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God, 
thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made 
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a 
servant, and was made in the likeness of men ; and being 
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became 
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Here 
it is said that he thought it no robbery to be equal with 
God, and therefore could approach him on terms of equal- 
ity. And again : Col. ii : 9, '' For in him dwellethall the 
fullness of the Godhead bodily." This being true, there is 
no one in heaven that is superior to him, and therefore he 
could approach the court of heaven without infringing on 
the dignity of that court. But as there is such a vast dif- 
ference between God and men, could he humble himself 
to all the circumstances of fallen humanity, so that he 
could approach them on an equal footing with them, so as 
to act as mediator at the court of men on earth? Yes, the 
apostle says, *' He took on him the form of a servant and 
was made in the likeness of men, and being- in fashion as a 
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, 
even the death of the cross." 

Here then is one like God, and like men ; for he was the 
' ' brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of 
his person." He was also in the likeness of men, and was 
not involved in the difficulty. So he possessed all the qual- 
ifications necessary to enable him to act as mediator between 
God and men. And as God was the innocent party, and 
man the guilty party, it was, therefore, every way consis- 
tent for God to propose the terms of reconciliation to man, 
and that he should send the mediator first to the court of 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 299 

man, that he might remove all obstacles out of the ^yay 
that prevented man from returning to God and being 
reconciled to him. For it is man that has strayed away 
from God, and not God from man. Therefore, man must 
come back to God. God does not propose to come to man. 
But when man departed from God, and transgressed the 
law of God, and placed himself under the government of 
Satan, there arose such obstacles betwen him and God that 
he could not return to God until those obstacles were 
removed. And he was not able to remove them. Hence 
the necessity of a mediator that was able to remove them. 

The greatest difficulty in this sermon, is to find just what 
those obstacles were ; and we will now look and see if we 
can find some of them. Sin is evidently one of them. 
Isa. lix: 1, 2, *' Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened 
that he cannot save, neither his ear heavy that he cannot 
hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and 
your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that 
he will not hear." We see from this that sin and iniquity 
separate man from God ; and therefore sin must be 
removed before man can come to God and enjoy his bless- 
ings. We now ask, did Christ provide for the removal or 
remission of sins? Answer, "That Christ died for our 
sins, according to the Scriptures." ,1 Cor. xv : 3. "For 
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust 
that he might bring us to God." 1 Pet. iii : 10. " For 
this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for 
many for the remission of sins." Matt, xxvi: 28. "But 
if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fel- 
lowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, 
his Son, cleanseth us from all sin." John i : 1. "Be it 
known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through 
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." 
Acts xiii : 38. From these and many other passages we 
see that the mediator has made it possible for all that will 
believe and obey him, to obtain the forgiveness of sins ; 
and that he has thereby removed that obstacle out of the 
way. 

Another obstacle is that the people are under the power 
of Satan, and his power is greater than theirs, and they 



300 Sermom hy Jesse L. Sewell. 

cannot come to God unless the mediator has overcome that 
power. Has he done this? Answer; Heb. ii : 14. "In- 
asmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, 
he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through 
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, 
that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of 
death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." 1 John 
iii : 8, " He that committeth sin is of the devil. For the 
devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the 
Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the 
works of the devil." From these we see that Christ has 
destroyed the works of the devil, so that men may be 
delivered from his power and translated into the kingdom 
of God's dear Son. See Col. i : 13. So the mediator has 
removed that obstacle out of the way. But death was in 
some sense a barrier that intervened between God and 
man, and the devil had the power of death before Christ 
came, as we read in Heb. ii : 14, ' ' Since the children par- 
took of flesh and blood, he also in like manner partook of 
these that through death he might vanquish him who had 
the power of death — that is the devil, and deliver them 
who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject 
to bondage." (Living Oracles.) From this we see that 
the devil had the power of death, but that Christ has van- 
quished him, and taken that power from him, and that 
Christ " hath abolished death and hath brought life and 
immortality to light through the gosj^el." 2 Tim. i : 10. 
''And he now has the keys of death and of Hades." Rev. 
i : 18. (Revised version.) So the mediator has removed 
that barrier. 

And then the righteous law of God which man had trans- 
gressed, was another obstacle in the way of man's approach- 
ing God and being saved. Law can show no mercy, can 
extend no pardon, but requires that the transgressor shall 
be punished to the extent of the penalty of the law. And 
as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God 
(Rom. iii : 24,) so all are exposed to the penalty of the 
law ; and this is a very serious obstacle. For the justice, 
righteousness, and strength of the law of God must be 
maintained, and the honor and permanency of the divine 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 301 

government must be sustained. Has the mediator removed 
this barrier? Let us see. He himself said, *' Think not 
that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets ; I am 
not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto 
you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in 
no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 
V : 18. And I understand Christ here to teach that when 
the law had been fulfilled, had attained its end, then 
it would pass away. 

Christ kept the law and fulfilled all its requirements, 
so that in him it attained its end, and he was the true rep- 
resentative of the race of man. He magnified the law and 
made it honorable, as said the prophet. Isa. xlii : 21. And 
he " took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." Col. 
ii : 14 And again, the apostle in speaking of the Jew§ and 
Gentiles, says : '' For he is our peace, who hath made 
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of parti- 
tion between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, 
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, 
for to make in himself of twain, one new man, so making 
peace." Eph. ii : 14. The middle wall of partition here 
was the law, and the 3rd chapter of 2 Cor. shows clearly 
that the law is done away. And when the law was done 
away, there was no difiference between Jew and Gentile. 
The Gentiles had sinned and come short of the glory of 
God, as well as the Jews, and were ransomed by Christ. 
" For he gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in 
due time." All that had transgressed the law were under 
the curse. "For it is written, cursed is everyone that 
continueth not in all things which are written in the book 
of the law to do them." And unless something could be 
done to save them from the curse, they must all have 
suffered the penalty of the law. But we read that "Christ 
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a 
curse for us; for it is written, cursed is every one that 
hangeth on a tree." Gal. iii : 10-14. From this we see 
that Christ has removed that difficulty out of the way. . 

But after all that we have shown that has been accom- 
plished for a sinful world, the question will be asked, 
What effect did all that Christ has done and suffered have 



302 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

on God himself, to enable him to justify and save sinners, 
and the great principles of his justice be vindicated, and 
the honor and dignity of his government and law main- 
tained? In answer to this question, I am satisfied that 
extreme grounds have been taken in two directions. 1 
have heard some explain it in this way : that the humanity 
of Christ was the sacrifice, and his divinity the altar, and 
that the fire of God's wrath fell from heaven upon that 
sacrifice, and burned through to the altar, and that appeased 
the wrath of God and satisfied the divine justice ; that 
Christ suffered all the penalty that was due to all the sins 
of the world ; that he died in our room and stead, that he 
cancelled out the bond that was against us, paid the debt 
and released the prisoner. This is, I think, taking extreme 
ground, and therefore wrong. It would save all without 
any agency or choice on their part, and is contrary to the 
teaching of the Scriptures. And if we take the position 
that all that Christ did and suffered, had no effect on God, 
then I do not know how to understand some passages of 
Scripture ; and I have heard some of my own brethren 
take this position. 

We read that all (both Jews and Gentiles) have sinned, 
and come short of the glory of God. ''Being justified 
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation 
through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for 
the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance 
of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, 
that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth 
in Jesus." Kom. iii: 23-27. Here the basis of justifica- 
tion is found in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and 
the righteousness or justice of God is vindicated by the 
propitiatory sacrifice of Christ in forgiving or passing by 
the sins of past ages, and also at the present time in justi- 
fying them that believe in Jesus. And this shows that the 
righteousness and justice of God could not have been vin- 
dicated without the propitiatory sacrifice and righteousness 
of" Christ. The word propitiate means to conciliate an 
offended one, so as to render him favorable toward the 
offender, so that he will grant such terms of reconciliation 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 303 

or conditions of pardon as the offender can comply with. 
And this effect the propitiation of Christ has had upon God 
toward our fallen race. He has granted such terms of 
reconciliation as the fallen sons and daughters of men can 
comply with, and in so doing, his justice is fully vindicated 
in the sight of angels and men, and the honor and [dignity 
of his government fully maintained in saving sinners when 
they believe in Jesus and obey him. This does not destroy 
the agency of man, nor lift the responsibility off of him, 
but makes his salvation dcj^end on his choice and agency. 
Christ has done all for him that was necessary to his salva- 
tion, that he could not do for himself. Christ as mediator 
has removed all obstacles that intervened between God and 
men, and opened up the way so that men may come to God 
and be reconciled to God through the death of his Son, and 
be saved. 

And when he Lad thus finished all his work as mediator 
at the court of man, the time was come that he must return 
to the court of heaven, to appear in the presence of God 
for us. But he was not willing that the cause of God 
should be left unpleaded at the court of man in this world, 
and so he chose his apostles and constituted them his 
ambassadors and comitted to them the word of reconcilia- 
tion, and sent them to the court of man to transact business 
with men, in his name. But these were not mediators, but 
the ambassadors of the mediator. There is but one medi- 
ator. The work of a mediator is to go from party to party. 
But these ambassadors were only sent to one party. They 
were not authorized to go to the court of heaven to transact 
business ; this was the work of the mediator. All men that 
were ever commissioned and sent by the authority of God 
to transact any business were sent to their fellowmen, and 
not to God, to transact business with him. So there are no 
human mediators between God and men ; and now the 
mediator having finished his work on earth, and having 
given his last charge, or commission to his ambassadors, 
ascended to heaven, and sat on the right hand of God, and 
was made both Lord and Christ. He then sent down the 
Holy Spirit and imbued his ambassadors with power from 
on high, and they went out by liis authority with the word 



304 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

of. reconciliation to present to all nations, fully qualified 
for the work assigned to them, and were able to present it 
to every nation in their own language, and had power to per- 
form miracles in his name. But we must learn what the 
word of reconciliation is from the commission that Christ 
gave them, and from the record of their preaching under 
the commission. We will first look at the commission as it 
is rendered in the English Revised Version. Matt, 
xxviii : 19, *'And Jesus came to them and spake unto 
them, saying, all authority hath been given unto me in 
heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and make disciples 
of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the 
Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you, and lo I am with you alw^ays, even unto the end of 
the world." Matt, xvi : 15, '' And he said unto them, go 
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole 
creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, 
but he that believeth not shall be condemned." Luke 
xxiv : 46, "And he said unto them, thus it is written that 
Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third 
day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be 
preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from 
Jerusalem." From these records we find that the disciples 
^vere sent to all the world, and required to preach the suf- 
fering and resurrection of Christ, and repentance and 
remission of sins, in his name, and thus make disciples of 
all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the promise 
that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and 
the threat that he that believeth not shall be condemned. 
And when we look at the record of the preaching of the 
apostles under this commission, as recorded in the Acts of 
the apostles, beginning with the 2nd chapter, we find that 
they preached the facts concerning the life, and miracles, 
death, resurrection, ascension, and coronation of Christ. 
And when the people believed these facts they commanded 
them to repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins, and promised them that 
they should receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. These 



Sermons by Jesse L. SewelL 305 

things, together with the good confession with the mouth, 
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, constituted the 
word of reconciliation that the apostles presented to sinful 
men and women, and all that accepted this word of recon- 
ciliation and obeyed its requirements, were afterward sj^oken 
of as reconciled, justified and saved. They were repre- 
sented as disciples, saints, children of God, heirs of God, 
and joint heirs Avith Christ ; as being delivered from the 
power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of 
God's Son, as having redemption through his blood, the 
forgiveness of sins. 

But these ambassadors have finished their personal 
labors, and are gone from earth, and there are no ambas- 
sadors of Christ on earth now. How then is this word of 
reconciliation to be presented to the people now ? The 
ambassadors after they had so presented it to the nations 
of earth, that many thousands, both Jcavs and Gentiles, 
had received it, and the church had been permanently 
established in the world, committed the word of reconcilia- 
tion to record, and left it with the church, and the church 
is now through her ministers, to sound out the word to the 
world, and exhort them to receive it. And the ministers 
of this age generally start right. They take the Bible and 
go to the people, and tell them that they have sinned, and 
are under condemnation, and tell them of the Savior, and 
what he has done for them. But when the people become 
interested, and begin to inquire what they must do to be 
saved, then many of them take a step in the wrong direc- 
tion, and instead of telling them as did the ambassadors, 
to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the remission of sins, tell them that they must engage in 
prayer to God for the forgiveness of their sins, and that 
they, together with the people of the Lord will pray for 
them, and that when they beconae humble enough, and 
give themselves up to the Lord, that he will pardon all 
their sins. But the ambassadors never did that way. 
They always presented the word of reconciliation to them 
in all its fullness, and exhorted, persuaded and prayed them 
to receive it. And if they would not, they would turn 
from them as having judged themselves unworthy of ever- 



306 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

lasting life. They never turned and plead with God to 
save them, but the ministers of this age have instituted a 
species of human mediation which is not authorized in the 
Scriptures. For there is but one mediator, and he is in 
the presence of God, and if there is anything that is neces- 
sary to be done in behalf of the sinner, he is there and 
every way able to do it, and will do it in the right way. 
But this prayer system of conversion not being authorized 
by the word of God, is misleading and deceiving the peo- 
ple who are honestly seeking salvation. 

But I am often asked, do you not believe that these 
earnest prayers on the part of the penitent sinner and the 
prayers of the people of the Lord for them do secure 
remission of sins for the penitent sinner ? To which I am 
constrained to answer — no ; for the Lord has not promised 
remission to the alien in that w^ay. But I am sometimes 
at this point asked if I believe these earnest prayers are 
all lost, that they do no good in the conversion of sinners? 
Well, I never say that they may not sometimes cause sin- 
ners to continue to search for the plan of salvation till they 
find it, and are led to obey its requirements, and are saved. 
But if they do not lead sinners to believe in Christ, and 
repent of their sins, and confess the Savior with the mouth, 
and to be baptized in his name for the remission of sins, 
they do no good in saving them. But if they do sometimes 
lead them to obey the gospel, it is a round-about w^ay of 
reaching them, and one that is not required in the w^ord of 
reconciliation. So then it is much better and much the 
safest to take the word of reconciliation just as the ambas- 
sadors have left it on record, and present it to them, and 
pray them to receive it. For all that preach any other 
gospel than that which they have preached, or pervert it 
by adding something to, or taking something from it, will 
be accursed. 

Then the only safe ground that the minister can occupy 
is to take the word of reconciliation just as it is, and pre- 
sent it to the people. And then it is our privilege to pre- 
sent all the high and heavenly motives found in God's 
word, and all the solemn warnings of the same to influence 
them to receive it. And if they will not, then we are clear 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 307 

of their blood. And if they are lost, the fault is theirs. 
But if we, as ministers have deceived them by presenting 
something the Lord has not authorized, then we will have 
a very solemn reckoning at the judgment seat of Christ. 
That we may all be able to so steer our frail barks as to 
reach the port of eternal felicity, is my prayer. 



SERMON NO. XVI. 



THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 

OW am I to know that I am a child of God? The 
apostle answers : ' ' For as many as are led by the 
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye 
have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear ; but 
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 
Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God ; And if children, 
then heirs ; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." 
Rom. viii : 14-17. This answer is certainly correct. But 
it is variously understood, and variously interj^reted by 
men of this age. The Quakers or Friends claim that they 
are moved by the Spii'it directly in all they say, and in all 
they do in the service of God ; that the Spirit actually 
dictates the words that they speak, and that it is in this 
way that the Spirit bears witness. But many others teach 
that the Spirit bears witness in or through the feelings and 
emotions of the heart ; that the Spirit enters into the heart 
and works silently by moving upon the feelings, passions, 
and emotions of the heart without words, and thus tacitly 
impresses them that they are children of God. And there 
are others that teach that the Spirit bears witness in or 
through the promises of the Lord, recorded in his word. 
So there are three theories on the witness of the Spirit 
taught in this age, and the question before us, is, which of 
them is correct ? And we must examine them in the light 
of the Bible in order to ascertain which of them is right. 
And as to the first which teaches that the Spirit bears its 
testimony directly, by dictating words to them, we remark 
that in all cases recorded in the Bible, when the Spirit 

(308) 



Sermom by Jesse L. Sewell, 309 

dictated words directly to any one it always imparted unto 
them power sufficient to enable them to perform such mir- 
acles, and give such signs as would convince the people 
that they were sent of God. And as the Quakers or Friends 
do not claim that they have such power, we conclude that 
their theory of the witness of the Spirit is wrong. 

And as to the second theory that teaches that the Sj^irit 
bears its testimony in the feelings of the heart, we desire to 
give it a pretty thorough investigation, because there are 
many more religious people under its influence in our coun- 
try, than there are under the first ; we, therefore, wish to 
examine feelings a little closely, and ascertain their true 
office and work ; what they can, and what they cannot do 
for us. We wish to ascertain whether our feelings, our 
consciousness, or anything that is about us, can make 
known or reveal to us any event that takes place beyond 
our own observation, and whether they can testify to us 
what any one else has done, or is doing for or against us. 
We wish to kno^r whether feelings are a cause capable of 
producing an effect, or whether they are an effect produced 
by some cause. And in order to ascertain all these, we 
will submit a circumstance that occurred during the late 
war as an illustration. 

I was at a man's house who had a son in the army, and 
there came some cavalry along the road, and one of them 
stopped at the gate and called to the man of the house, and 
asked if he had heard from his son in ttie last ten days. 
The man of the house said no ; and the man at the gate 
said, " we had a little fight about ten days ago near Rome, 
Georgia, in which your son was badly wounded and carried 
to the hospital, and before we left the neighborhood we 
heard a rumor that he was dead, but do not know whether 
it is so or not." And at these words the w^hole family began 
to weep, and such manifestations of deep, heart-rending 
sorrow, I have seldom ever witnessed. They wept until 
they had no more power to weep. But I left them and 
returned home and heard nothing from them for one month, 
when I went to my appointment again in the same neigh- 
borhood, and went to the same house again, and after din- 
ner he told me that he had learned that the graves of all 



310 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

that died in the hospital were marked with the name of the 
person buried, and that he had employed a man to go and 
bring his son's remains home, so he could bury him in the 
family burying grounds. But before he was done, another 
man rode up and handed a letter to a little girl, and she 
ran into the house and gave it to an older sister, who, seeing 
the directions, exclaimed, "this is brother's hand-writing ! " 
She tore it open and read it, and it gave an account of the 
battle, of his being wounded and carried to the hospital, 
but that he was now able to be up and write, and thought 
he would soon be well. Such a scene of rejoicing as fol- 
lowed the reading of that letter, I have seldom ever wit- 
nessed. They shouted aloud, and embraced each other with 
joy. When they heard the words of the man at the gate 
they all wept ; they felt that their son and brother was 
dead. And I now ask, what was the evidence to that 
family that their son and brother was dead ? Was it their 
feelings, or the words of the man at the gate ? I am satis- 
iiied that every intelligent reader will answer that the 
words of the man at the gate was the evidence, and the 
only evidence, that they had that he was dead. From 
W'hat the man said, they believed that he was dead, and 
their believing that he w^as dead produced the grief and 
sorrow. Believing that he was dead, then, was the cause, 
and the feelings, the effect. But when they read the let- 
ter, their feelings changed ; they all felt now that he was 
alive, and began to rejoice. And we ask, what was the 
evidence to them that he was alive? Was it these happy 
feeliugs, or was it the contents of the letter? I am sure 
that the reader will be compelled to answer that the con- 
tents of the letter was the evidence, and the only evidence 
they had that he was alive, aud their believing that he was 
alive was the cause, aud their happy feelings the effect. 
So, then, feelings are not a cause, but an effect. 

In the above illustration, it is clear that the feelings of 
this family did not, and could not make kuown to them the 
condition of their son and brother. But suppose we admit 
that their feelings were the evidence to them that he was 
dead; then their feelings testified to a falsehood, for they 
all felt for one month that he was dead. But he was alive 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 311 

all the time. And in view of this, I ask, is it safe to rely 
on the testimony of feelings ? If they testify falsely in one 
case, may they not so testify in another? But all that we 
have said is fully illustrated and sustained by a circum- 
stance recorded in the Bible. 

All that are familiar with the old Scriptures will remem- 
ber the circumstances of Joseph being sold by his brethren, 
the account of which is found in the thirty-seventh chapter 
of Genesis. Jacob loved Joseph and made him a coat of 
many colors, in consequence ol which his brethren hated 
him. And Joseph dreamed dreams, the interpretation of 
which strongly indicated that his brethren would be brought 
to bow down to him. For these dreams, his brethren hated 
him still more ; and when they were keeping their father's 
flock away from home, Jacob sent Joseph to see how they 
did. And when they saw him, they conspired to put him 
to death ; but some merchant-men came along, going to 
Egypt, and they sold him to them. And to keep their 
father from suspicioning them, they took his coat of many 
colors, and killed a kid, and dipped it in the blood of the 
kid, and carried it to their father; and said, "This have 
we found : know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 
And he knew it, and said. It is my son's coat ; an evil 
beast hath devoured him ; Joseph is without doubt rent in 
pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth 
upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And 
all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him ; 
but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go 
down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his 
father mourned for him." Gen. xxxvii: 31-36. Now 
Jacob honestly believed that Joseph w^as dead ; that a wild 
beast had devoured him. He felt in his heart that Joseph 
was torn in pieces. But upon w^hat testimony did he 
believe that he was dead ? Did his feelings testify that he 
was dead ? Most certainly not ; but it was Josph's coat, 
rent and bloody, that was the evidence to him that Joseph 
was dead ; and his grief and sorrow was the effect produced 
by believing that he was dead. Thus we see that our 
feelings are produced and governed by our faith. 

Jacob believed for many years that Joseph was dead, 



312 Sermoiis by Jesse L. Sewell. 

and wept over liim as dead until in time of the famine he 
sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn, and Joseph was made 
known to them, and sent for his father to come to Egypt, 
that he might nourish him the remaining five years of the 
famine. And when his sons came and said Joseph is alive 
and is governor over all the land of Egypt, it is said that 
"Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. But 
when he saw. the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry 
him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived, and Israel 
said, it is enough, Joseph is alive, and I will go and see him 
before I die." Gen. xlv : 28. From this we learn that a 
proposition must be believed before it will produce an effect 
upon the heart. Jacob did not believe the words of his 
sons that Joseph was alive, and his heart fainted. The 
very mention of Joseph's name brought all the sad thoughts 
of his death back to his mind, and caused his heart to 
faint. But when he saw the wagons, it convinced him that 
Josej^h Avas alive. His faith was now changed to the very 
opposite of what it had been for many years ; for he had 
believed for many years that Joseph was dead, and it 
caused him to weep and mourn. But now he believes he 
is alive, and his feelings instantly change from grief and 
sorrow to joy and gladness, and he exultingly exclaims, 
" It is enough ! Joseph is alive, and I will go and see him 
before I die." 

From these illustrations we learn some important facts ; 
first, that wdien a proposition is believed, it produces an 
effect upon the heart corresponding with the nature of the 
proposition that is believed. If it is a sad or sorrowful 
proposition, it will produce grief and sorrow, as when the 
family believed their son and brother was dead. And 
when Jacob believed Joseph was dead, he wept and 
mourned. But when the family believed their son and 
brother was alive, grief and sorrow took their flight, and 
joy and gladness sprang up in their hearts. And when 
Jacob believed that Joseph was alive, he wept no more ; 
but rejoiced in prospect of seeing him before he died. 

And we learn secondly, that believing a falsehood never 
makes it the truth. The family believing that their son 
and brother was dead did not make it so, nor did Jacob 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 313 

believing that Joseph was dead make it so. Believing a 
falsehood is of no benefit to any one. The family believing 
that their son and brother was dead was of no benefit to 
them, but an injury. It destroyed all their peace and hap- 
piness for one month, causing them to weep and mourn. 
Jacob believing that Joseph was dead was no benefit to 
him, but caused him to determine to give up all the com- 
forts and enjoyments of life, and go down into the grave 
to his son mourning Yet I am aware that in this age 
many teach that if persons are honest in what they believe 
in religious matters, and honestly live up to it, it will save 
them, whether it is according to the teaching of the Bible 
or not. But the Savior said to the Jews that believed on 
him, '* If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disci- 
ples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth 
shall make you free." John viii : 32. ** Seeing ye have 
purified your souls in obeying the truth." 1 Peter i : 22. 
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye 
should not obey the truth." Gal. iii : 1. *' Sanctify them 
through thy truth, thy word is truth." Johnxvii: 17. 
The Lord does not promise salvation to any until they 
believe and obey the truth as it is set forth in the holy 
Scriptures. 

We learn also that to believe a falsehood has all the 
effect on the feelings that it would if it was the truth, just 
as long as we believe it to be the truth. As long as the 
family believed their son and brother was dead, it produced 
as strong and deep feelings of grief and sorrow as it could 
have done if it had been true ; and so of Jacob. As long 
as he believed Joseph was dead, he felt as sorry as he could 
have felt if Joseph had been actually dead. And this 
shows that it is not safe to rely on feelings, for they can be 
as readily produced by believing a lie as by believing the 
truth. 

I think that it has been clearly shown that the second 
theory on the witness of the Spirit is not correct, and it 
now remains for us to examine the third, which teaches 
that the Spirit of the Lord bears witness in the promises 
which are recorded in the Scriptures. And according to 
the declaration of the apostles, there are two witnesses: 



314 Sermons by Jesse L. Seivell. 

•' The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we 
are children of God." If I bear witness with my friend, 
then I and my friend are both witnesses; but if I bear 
witness to my friend, then I am the only witness in the 
case. The first and second theories mentioned in this ser- 
mon proceed upon the principle that the Spirit of the Lord 
bears witness to our spirit, and that there is, therefore, but 
one witness. But as the apostle shows that there are two 
witnesses, we must examine both. 

The Holy Spirit tells us in the word of the Lord what 
we must do in order that we may become children of God, 
and how we must live in order to remain children of God. 
The directions of the Spirit to the alien sinner are found in 
such passages as the following : "He that believeth and 
is baptized shall be saved." Mark x\i : 16. '* Repent and 
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ 
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
the Holy Ghost." Acts ii: 38. "Why tarriest thou? 
Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on 
the name of the Lord." Acts xxii: 16. "If thou shalt 
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe 
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, 
thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth 
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made 
unto salvation." Rom. x : 9, 10. When the sinner com- 
plies with these conditions, the Spirit promises him salva- 
tion : salvation from sin, from its guilt and punishment, 
and fi'om the power of darkness, and that he shall receive 
the gift of the Holy Ghost. All these promises are given 
in the most positive language, leaving no room for doubts 
or misgivings, and this is what every one wants ; something 
upon which he can rely with certainty, and feel that he 
is infallibly safe. And this is the reason why the Roman 
Catholic church has such an unlimited influence and 
unbounded control over all its members. It claims infalli- 
bility ; that the salvation of all that enter into that church 
and abide there is infallibly sure. And if people can trust 
the promises of that church, with all its abominations, 
ought they not to trust the promises of the unerring Spirit 
of God with much more confidence ? And the sinner must 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 315 

determine by the testimony of his own spirit when he has 
complied with the conditions of salvation required by the 
Holy Spirit in the word of God. And his own spirit is 
all the witness that can testify to what he has done. 
For the apostle asks: " What man knoweth the things of 
a man saye the spirit of man which is in him ? Eyen so, 
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God," 
(1 Cor. ii : 11,) from which we learn that the spirit of man 
testifies to what he does, and the Spirit of God testifies to 
what he does. 

There are two parts in salvation — the human and the 
divine. The human spirit testifies to the human part, and 
the Spirit of God testifies to the divine part ; and there are 
only these two witnesses in the case. And when a man 
decides from his own consciousness which is the testimony 
of his own spirit that he has complied with the conditions 
which the Spirit requires in order to become a child of 
God, then for him to doubt that he is a child of God, is to 
doubt the veracity of the Spirit of God, and his own con- 
sciousness, which no rational man can do that believes the 
Bible. But when a man relies implicitly on the testimony 
ot the Spirit of God and of his own spirit that he is a child 
of God, he has something infallibly safe, that leaves no 
place for doubts. But when men rely on their feelings as 
the evidence that they are children of God, then all is 
uncertain, and mixed with doubts. For feelings are as 
changeable and fluctuating as the ebbing and flowing of the 
tide ; at one time it is up to the highest mark, at another 
down to the lowest ebb. When the feelings are wrought 
up to the highest point then the evidence seems to be suf- 
ficient, and they feel that they are children of God. But 
when their feelings cool down and die away, which they are 
certain to do, then their evidence is all gone, and they can 
but doubt and fear. But the teachers of this doubting 
system tell them these doubts and misgivings are strong 
evidences that they are children of God, and that it is nec- 
essary that the Spirit should withdraw its testimony from 
them in order to try them, and keep them humble. They 
regard the Spirit as being the author of their cold, dark 
and doubting seasons, as well as their times of rejoicing. 



316 Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 

And they embody these alternations of joy and sorrow in 
their songs, and sing them apparently with the spirit and 
with the understanding. While I was among them there 
was no song more popular among them than the following, 
and none sung oftener : 

"Sometimes I go mourning, down Babylon's cold stream ; 
Sometimes my Lord's religion appears to be my theme ; 
Sometimes I am exalted, on eagle's wings I fly — 
Rising above Mount Pisgali, I almost reach the sky. 

Sometimes I go to meeting, and wish I'd staid at home ; 
Sometimes I And my Jesus, and then I'm glad I've come; 
Sometimes I read my Bible, it seems a sealed Book ; 
Sometimes I find a blessing wherever I do look. 

Sometimes when I am praying, it seems almost a task; 
Sometimes I find a blessing, the greatest I can ask: 
Sometimes I shun the Christian, for fear he'll talk to me; 
Sometimes he is the neighbor, I long the most to see." 

And after I learned the way of the Lord more perfectly, 
and determined to take the Bible alone for my guide, and 
became identified Avith the disciples of Christ, then these, 
my old brethren and sisters, would often say to me. *'The 
system of religion that you have embraced is onl}^ a cold, 
lifeless formality ; there is no feeling about it ; you have 
no seasons of rejoicing among you ; you seldom have any 
shouting at your meetings, and if you do, it is generally 
by some one that got religion before they joined you." 
But in all this they were mistaken ; for we have more per- 
manent and lasting joy and consolation than they do. The 
religion they profess to have, is a kind of periodical, spas- 
modic, and fitful religion, that is seated in the passions, and 
is therefore fluctuating and uncertain, and only imparts 
consolation to its possessor at long intervals, when every- 
thing is favorable ; but in times of temptation and perse- 
cution, forsakes them and leaves them to grope their way 
in the dark as best they can, amid doubts, fears, and mis- 
givings. I confess that I do not want that kind of relig- 
ion. But I want something better, something that will 
not forsake me when most I need its consolation. I want 
something that will stand by me and support and comfort 
me in the darkest hour of temptation and persecution ; 



Sermons by Jesse L. Sewell. 317 

something that I can turn to with unwavering confidence 
when I am assailed by the wiles and devices of Satan. 
And this we have in the exceeding, great and precious 
promises of the Lord, who spake as man never spake, and 
who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God 
by him. But salvation depends on coming to God, and 
they must come just as the Holy Spirit in the word of God 
directs them to come. No one has any right to the prom- 
ises of the Lord until he obeys him. But the Lord Jesus 
* ' being made perfect has become the author of eternal sal- 
vation unto all them that obey him." Heb. v. 9. When 
sinners obey the commands of the Lord as set forth in the 
gospel, — that is, when they believe on the Lord with all 
the heart, and repent of their sins, and confess the Lord 
with the mouth before men, and are baptized ''into the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Spirit," — then the Spirit bears witness with their spirit that 
they are children of God. The Spirit does not bear its 
witness in their feelings, but in the promises found in God's 
word. And believing this witness of the Spirit, is what 
produces the feeling of joy and gladness, and enables them 
to go on their way rejoicing. And as long as they continue 
to be obedient children, they may still go on their way 
rejoicing. 

Christianity is' not that dark and gloomy system that 
many of its professed friends represent it to be. It is 
the privilege of Christians to be the happiest people in the 
world. They have the ' ' promise of the life that now is, 
and of that which is to come." And the apostle says to 
them, '' Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord." Phil, 
iii: 1. * 'Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, 
rejoice." Phil, iii: 4. "Rejoice evermore." 1 Thess. 
v: 16. It is the privilege of Christains to "rejoice with 
joy that is unspeakable and full of glory," when their faith 
is strong, and they are walking in all the commandments 
and ordinances of the Lord blameless ; yes, they may be 
happy in life, and in death ; yes, they may be happy in the 
resurrection, and happy in heaven forever. 

And now, in conclusion, dear reader, let me ask you, 
Have you complied with the conditions upon which the 



318 Sermons by Jesse L. SeweU. 

Holy Spirit promises you salvation from sin and Satan, and 
does the Spirit bear witness with your spirit that you are 
a child of God ? If so, you can go on your way in hope of 
the glory of God. But if you have not, let me warn you 
of the danger of putting it off. Your time is fast fleeting 
away; your life is uncertain; death and judgment and 
vast eternity are coming on, and if you do not prepare for 
them by believing and obeying the gospel, you must be 
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of 
the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Oh ! dreadful 
thought ! Oh ! aAvful doom ! My very soul trembles and 
shudders at the thought. Be wise, reader, and take care 
that you may escape this terrible doom. 




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